Secrets: The nether chronicles
by Kuchiki-san urahara
Summary: Having spent her teenage years in Kenya, Abby returns to the US to attend college with her Sector V pals. Their lives are about to get very complicated as secrets are revealed, relationships are tested & betrayal becomes the order of the day. Slight AR
1. Chapter 1

**Secrets: The nether chronicles**

I've never written before, except compositions for class. So please bear with me; for this posting at least, and review when you're done. I'll need all the help I can get. I had wanted to have a couple of chapters instead of this one chapter I've written, but I couldn't for the life of me find any appropriate part to divide. Once again, please bear with this chapter. I'm not sure where I'm going with this story, if I'll go anywhere at all.

Chapter 1

Abby had always been strong. It's how she managed to hold the KND together whenever Nigel was not in command for a mission for some reason. No, no, not Nigel; when it came to missions, he was Numbuh One. However, deep down Abigail was just another softie. Maybe not as much as Kuki, but she was definitely not as strong as everyone thought. What helped her out was the fact that she was so good at keeping her emotions buried deep within her. Allowing them to surface would not garner as much respect and authority, or so she thought. The KND knew it was all just a façade, but no one dared to let her know.

Even at the airport as she bid her fellow KND goodbye, she did not shed a tear. She was instead the one who was busy consoling Kuki, as if it was Numbuh Three heading to a future unknown. Abby never imagined that she would be leaving her beloved friends for Africa. It was still a bit of a shock for her. As she hugged Kuki close, she could feel a lump grow in her throat, which she very uncomfortably swallowed before her could grief could get the best of her.

"I'm gonna miss you Abby," Kuki said with a loud sniff.

Abby could not even bring herself to reply, she just nodded, hoping that somehow she conveyed the message she wanted to put across.

"I'll miss you too Kuks. All of you," she finally managed to say, as she looked around at her other three best friends who were hurdled around the two embracing girls.

"Don't you dare go and forget us now, okay?" Nigel said, as he smiled sadly at Numbuh Five.

"Yeah, and you better write to us, or e-mail or whatever," Wally said as he playfully hit the tip of Abby's trademark red hat so that it limited her line of vision to within an inch or two ahead of her .

"You better believe it," Abby said with a chuckle, as she let go of Kuki and went round hugging the rest of her friends. She got to Hoagie last, and she looked into his sad eyes which had tears delicately balanced within his eye lids. She figured that if just a milliliter more of liquid exited his tear ducts, his water works would be set to begin, although they'd be nowhere near as flashy as Kuki's performance.

"Take care of yourself, Abby," he said as he took her in his arms and embraced her to his chubby self. He was so warm, Abby could have stayed there forever, what with the chilling temperatures of the airport. Mrs. Lincoln gave a quick clap of her hands to indicate that it was time to go. She came and gave the five kids a group hug.

"Be good," she advised, knowing that she would miss her daughter's best friends. They were pretty much like her own children, having watched them grow so fast before her eyes. They were always at her house, playing games and whatnot. "Goodbye everybody," she said, with a final wave at them.

Abby was lost for words. As she and her family walked through the glass doors towards the international departures section, she turned her head to look at her friends for the last time, waving at them as she walked forwards.

The Lincoln's went through the last gate to the waiting area. They sat there for two hours before being prompted by the voice over the speaker to head for gate 23 and board their plane. Abby's little brother Jamie ran to her and clutched her hand tightly as they walked down the corridor. He too was a bit overwhelmed by everything, though for him it must have been the crowds and the expanse of the hall that did it. Abby adored her little brother, but she wondered if he ever really knew it. She was glad to have his hand to hold on to as they began this transition in their lives.

They were booked into the economy class, and they each took their seats, Abby at the window. Her mother sat next her, while her other two children, Jamie and Cree, sat to her right. Mrs. Lincoln looked at her daughter seated at her left side, leaned towards her and planted a soft kiss on her cheek and whispered, "It's okay to cry, you know."

Abby looked through the window as if that was all she was allowed to do. She could feel her mother's gaze on her, and she steeled her face before turning her head to face her mom.

"I don't want to cry. I will not cry, and it's not okay to either," she said, before turning her head to face the window again.

Mrs. Lincoln simply held Abby close, and felt her heart break for her daughter for the umpteenth time. Of all her kids, Abby was taking the move the hardest. She did not know how to make it better, but there was nothing she could do. It was her husband's job. They had to move with him. He had been assigned to Kenya for diplomatic duties. He would be assigned there for up to eight years. Abby was only twelve. Her entire teenage hood would be spent in Africa, away from her best friends. All she could do as a mother was pray that her daughter would be able to adjust. Luckily Cree was excited about the move, but maybe that was because she knew she would be headed back to America in a couple of years to attend university. Jamie, well, he was still too young to be deeply affected by the move, so, good for him. Mrs. Lincoln would miss her friends, but she knew she could cope. As long as she was with her husband, everything would be fine.

The plane finally took off. In the same way that it seems all weights keeping an aeroplane to the ground are suddenly removed so that the plane can rise, all the weights keeping Abby's emotions deeply buried within her were suddenly released. Before she knew what was going on, Abby found herself crying, sobbing really, so much that it hurt her lungs as she gasped for air. She tried to stifle the sound of her emotional breakdown, but sometimes it was damn near impossible, and she knew she could be heard by even Cree. Abby felt embarrassed, she could not remember the last time she cried. Her mother leaned over to comfort her daughter, as she felt a tell-tale sting in her own eyes. Abby sobbed into her shoulder for an hour, all the while Mrs. Lincoln held her daughter close, and whispered all the little things a child would like to hear.

Life wasn't so bad, Abby came to realize. Her school was pretty awesome, no doubt about that. The boys, were cool too, and cute to boot. But despite all the great stuff, Abby was never the same. She wasn't as confident as she once was. Thus, she was neither as outgoing as she used to be. Being separated from her best friends took a toll on her, and Mrs. Lincoln had realized that. Even though Abby had made friends, even within their neighbourhood, she never really hang out with them as much as other teenagers would. Mrs. Lincoln just hoped Abby was okay, all things considered. She seemed alright generally. They still joked around about all sorts of issues, and would have a great laugh about them. They still played around too – you know, the general "ran around the house and bully and tickle each other" sort of thing. So maybe, just maybe, with time Abby would begin to enjoy her friend's company a little more.

Abby did like her friends; she just wasn't so quick to label them as best friends or anything like that yet. She didn't want to replace her KND best friends, but she was also afraid to have new best friends just to find they have to move away too in future. She wasn't sure she would be able to cope with something like that again.

Well, at least there was Vince. He was pretty awesome. She liked him a lot. They'd been going out for six months now. They met at some diplomat's Christmas party last year. His two older sisters were there too. They were really friendly, and they instantly became pals with Cree. Vince and Abby chatted throughout the evening, and his eldest sister Diana got them some apple cider, which they said was ginger ale when Mrs. Lincoln asked what it was. They laughed about it later and had a great time together. They exchanged numbers before leaving the party. They spent about a month chatting over the phone before Vince asked her out. Mrs. Lincoln could not have been happier about their relationship, because that was the first time in months Abby looked really happy.

Vince was Abby's first boyfriend. He used to attend boarding school - in another province! When he was around they'd go to the movies and chill like other couples do. They never made out though, which Abby was pretty jazzed about. She never knew some guys could be so cool about that. He never pressed the issue, never even suggested or made any reference to it. He was definitely one of a kind. So their dating never got to any base whatsoever. The most _scandalous_ thing they did was talk dirty. Or rather Vince did. Abby was just on the receiving end of it, giggling about the stuff he said. It's not that she didn't have anything to contribute towards dirty talk, she was just shy. Maybe in a few more months she'd be able to tell him some of the crazy things she'd been thinking. They would definitely blow he's mind, she thought.

One day he sent Abby a love letter through a little girl attending the elementary part of her school. When Abby boarded the school bus she opened the letter and read it with her friend Pauline. Pauline was fast becoming Abby's best friend, whether the latter was ready for it or not. The letter said that Vince missed his girlfriend's awesome rack, and Abby's cheeks flushed a deep crimson. Pauline giggled and rolled her eyes. She wondered what rack Vince was referring to, because these two best friends had nearly identical racks, which were virtually non-existent.

"Really, Abby, you know your triple A boobies _are_ a sight to behold," Pauline laughed as other students seated behind them tried to read Abby's letter. "So you've been around the bases and you're not telling me, wow, great friend you are!" she said sarcastically.

"Please girl, you know if we'd gotten around them bases I'd have told you," Abby replied in her American accent. Pauline loved Abby's accent. It was fresh off the plane, unlike hers, which was just plain. Since she was a local, everybody else sounded like her, except of course for the international students attending her school.

"D'you think that maybe your man is trying to hint at something? You know, like his finally ready to get a taste of you and all?" Pauline asked, trying to wipe her grin off her face.

"I don't know. I hope…not. I don't think I'm ready for anything like that just yet."

"Come on, not even a smooch, or a tiny little peck on the cheek?"

"Well, I suppose a little kiss ain't so bad, right?"

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Pauline said, suddenly very excited.

Unfortunately for Pauline, as the year progressed, Abby's little crush on Vince fizzled. It probably had to do with the fact that he was away in boarding school for most of the year. While he was in school they couldn't even talk on the phone, because cell phones weren't allowed in school. So during the August holidays she decided to end things. He did not take it very well. He texted her to tell her that she was a little bitch who played with his emotions, and other stuff along the same lines. Abby thought that the whole incident was pretty funny, juvenile indeed, but funny nonetheless. When she relayed the story to Pauline, her Kenyan friend had few words to spare. " He's such a…dudu," she simply said after a while, seemingly lost her expletive dictionary. Abby had come to learn that dudu was Kiswahili for insect/creepy crawly. "What, he preferred that you cheat on him?"

"Who said anything about cheating?" Abby asked, looking perplexed.

"Don't play dumb sweetie, I know you've got a thing for Steve. I've seen the way you look at each other," Pauline said matter-of-factly.

Wow, Abby was impressed. It seemed like there was nothing that Pauline did not know about her. She was pretty observant. The truth was she only knew what Abby wanted known; nothing from her shameful past. Actually not even her four best friends back home knew about her secret past. Well, Hoagie knew. A little bit.

Abby had always had a curious spirit. This led her down paths that she would, under other circumstances, preferred not to have led at such a tender age.

She had watched enough TV, and seen so many couples in bed making out and making love. Of course as a kid she did not know they were getting freaky under the sheets, but she did want to know exactly what they were doing under there. Really, she had no idea, and clearly neither did Hoagie.

Hoagie had gone to Abby's place to play video games with her. After they got bored with that they went to hang out and play with her toys in her room. They had a blast with the action figures and toy horses. Abby had never been a fan of dolls, so her parents had bought her toy cars and action figures, and other toys boys liked. When the two children grew bored of that game too, the nine year old Abby and eight year old Hoagie just lay on the bed, telling stories. Abby then decided to get into bed, and Hoagie got under the covers too. Then Hoagie's face lit up when he got a light bulb moment.

"Let's play Days of Our Lives," he suggested.

Their moms used to watch that soap opera religiously, so when extreme boredom arose, they'd watch the program with their respective mothers.

"Why not, we've run out of games to play anyway. So what exactly should we do?" Abby asked.

"Well, I guess we take our clothes off, like we that guy and lady on TV yesterday."

"Cool."

The kids got undressed and threw their clothes onto the floor, all the while they were still under the covers, so they had not seen each other's naked bodies.

"Okay, now what?" Abby asked.

"I get on top of you, like that guy."

"Okay, come on."

Hoagie got on top Abby, and she struggled under his weight. She tried to be strong and rise to the challenge, but after a couple of minutes, she suggested that they switch positions. She was careful not to hurt his feelings by highlighting the fact that it was his weight that prompted the change.

"So what happens now?" Abby asked innocently, as she fidgeted against him to get more comfortable.

"I don't know. On TV they kiss, but, you know we can't do that. We're best friends you know, that would be weird. Besides you're not my girlfriend. I guess we just stay like this till we get tired."

They stayed like that till they got tired, totally oblivious to the contact between some very vital areas of their anatomy. They whole time they had just been telling stories and laughing about all sorts of things.

It was Wednesday morning, and Abby felt so dead tired that she could not believe Pauline was walking up to her with that ridiculous grin on her face. The previous day had been a national holiday, and Pauline's birthday. Her Kenyan bestie had thrown a house party, to commemorate her coming of age. The big one-six.

It was a fabulous party. All the cool kids from school were there. People managed to smuggle in alcohol. Well, you don't really smuggle in alcohol if there's no adult supervision, do you? Abby asked herself. She still could not believe that Pauline's folks were so trusting as to let their own teenage daughter throw a huge party in the evening with lots of boys, and girls, (especially boys) invited. Maybe if we were university students it would another matter, she thought. Kenyans, Abby had come to discover, were pretty conservative folk. That's why she felt that Pauline's parents were kind of against the grain.

Whatever the case, Abby had a great time, and she looked cool and knew it. All the chicks were looking sexy, with their tiny outfits or tight fitting clothes. She rocked skinnies, an oversize Eminem t-shirt and sneakers to die for. She was the only girl she knew who rocked sneakers to a party. Probably back in the US B-girls rocked that look too.

Dan was there. He was tall and good-looking. The height did it for her, he definitely stood out. Literally. She always had a thing for tall dudes. She remembered his cute smile, and -

"Hey Abs," Pauline greeted her, as she rudely pulled Abby back into the present. Abs? This was the first time in four years anyone had called her Abs. Usually it was just Abby or Abigail. She seriously missed her KND best friends at that point.

"Whasup?" Abby greeted back. "Why are you so happy and energetic this morning? You must have slept pretty late last night. I left your place at about one and you guys were still going strong. What time did people finally leave anyway?"

"The second last person left at about two. I pretty much kicked them out," Pauline said, looking exceptionally gleeful.

"What about the last person?"

"Seven, as I was coming to school."

"What?" Abby asked, raising her eyebrow. "Who the hell was that?"

"Pete," Pauline yelled happily, with a naughty look on her face. "I, my friend, got laid last night," she said proudly.

"How?" Abby asked, totally shocked. " You've always been afraid of the _penis_!" She exclaimed.

"Shhhhh!" Pauline shushed her reproachfully, swatting Abby across her mouth as their classmates began to pay attention to them.

"What kind of question is that? I got laid, laid. It was awesome. It's amazing how alcohol in the system boosts one's confidence. Goodness, if I'd known Peter was so talented, wow…and we did it all. I gave him head, like twice. And he – "

"Whoa shut up ," Abby interjected. " What the hell man, leave something for the imagination. Dammit! You're traumatizing my virgin ears," she joked.

"Don't act all high and mighty, okay? I saw your hot make out with my cousin on the dance floor… living room...dance floor, whatever. You guys were practically speaking in tongues. And don't you blame it on the alcohol, because sparks were flying between the two of you all night," Pauline said, before Abby could come up with a defense.

"Uh…but…Dan, he was – we were dancing…" Abby couldn't find a come-back. She was stumped, dumb-founded. Pauline smiled when she realized she had won that round, and she quickly took her seat as the teacher walked in to class.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Abby was sitting on her bed while tapping noisily on the keys of her laptop. She was chatting with Nigel Uno, while her boyfriend Steve lay half asleep near the edge of her bed. They had been going out for about eight months. Steve had come by Abby's that morning so that they could study for their finals that were due to begin in one and a half months time. They revised together from time to time. It was now three o'clock, and their minds were pretty much saturated by then. That's when Steve had decided to take a little siesta, but not before jokingly suggesting that he and his girl work on a biology practical (if she knew what he meant).

"The only practical you'll get will be between our lips, and that's not even a guarantee," Abby threatened. "I wanna write home. Chat home, whatever."

"Mood killer," Steve replied as he planted a kiss on Abby's cheek before rolling away from her to the other side of the bed.

An in-coming message sound broke the silence in the room. Abby read what Nigel had to say before replying:

Nigel: Yeah, so we'll probably all enroll at Regal University. It would be great if you'd join this campus too, then we can all catch up and just chill together like we used to, you know?

Abby: Yep, I can't wait to see you guys again. And I might show up with my friend from here. You remember Pauline, right? I've mentioned her before, I think.

Nigel: That would be cool. I wonder if she'd fit in with the gang though. But with time I suppose she would. Anyway, you ready for your finals?

Abby: Sorta. Still got a bit more than a month to prepare. I guess I'll be good by the time they're finally here. I've been studying with Steve. He's asleep now actually.

Nigel: Really? How's he doing anyway? Hope he's treating you right.

Abby: Yeah, he's a good guy. Funny. Oh, we're gonna have a prom after the exams, so that will be cool.

Nigel: Cool. I'll see what I can do about coming over for a little visit, OK?

Crap. I've gotta go, duty calls. Later : (

*Nigel is offline*

Abby shut her laptop and lay down beside her boyfriend. She ran her fingers through his soft thick hair, causing him to stir. She stopped long enough to let him settle again before she snuggled into him and slept.

"Final paper sweetie, excited?" asked Mrs. Lincoln.

"Goodness, you have no idea! I can't wait to finish high school. It don't get no better than this," replied Abby. " And to think that Nigel's arriving tonight, whoop whoop!" she cheered brightly.

"Yeah, it's so nice he can visit. So be home by ten. I want to leave for the airport by 10:15, ok?"

Abby nodded as she gulped down the remainder of her juice. "Kay, see you later," she said, rising from her chair and lifting her school bag off the floor. "Later Sport," she waved at Jamie as she left the house.

Abby walked down the street to where the school bus would pick up students. She waited for about ten minutes before it arrived. She boarded the bus and walked towards the back seats where she and Pauline usually sat. No Pauline today though, she remembered when she failed to see her friend. Pauline had sat for her final paper two days ago. Abby decided to listen to her iPod so as to kill the boredom that was sure to take over. She could have chatted with her other classmates on the bus, but they were all studying furiously.

Upon arriving at school, Abby made sure she isolated herself from the other final year students because she didn't want to pick up on any of their bad energy. This lot was always so anxious about exams. That is something Abby did not need. But she did continuously keep looking at her watch to make sure she got to the examination hall in good time, all the while listening to her music.

"Pens at the ready."

Abby smiled to herself. That line never got too old for her. That particular invigilator always said that right before he gave the go ahead to begin the exam. What, he thinks the pen is a weapon or something. A wand maybe?

"Begin."

The students all turned over their question papers and began their exam. Literature. That had always been Abby's favourite subject. What a way to finish one's O levels, she thought to herself. She looked through the entire question paper and smiled as she began to write her answers. What a way to finish!

After the exam Abby and some of her classmates walked leisurely around the school's compound. They all looked so relaxed, except for Cory, who kept saying that he's got to go tell his girlfriend that he's not a virgin anymore, coz that final paper screwed him. His friends burst into laughter, even though the kind of felt sorry for him. But it couldn't be helped. He kept on reminding them how clueless he was about some of the questions.

"Well, don't worry yourself too much about it, man," Abby reassured him. "What's done is done. You did your best, that's all that matters."

As the rest of the group tried to console and reassure Cory, Abby saw her boyfriend leaving the building at the East end of the school. She knew he had just come from doing his computer exam, also his last of the O levels. He looked tired, she mused. Steve looked up at the group walking aimlessly around school and quickly spotted his beautiful girlfriend. He smiled a killer smile at her and she reciprocated with a wave of the hand. As the group turned to head towards the bus park, Abby continued to walk straight towards Steve. He too was walking towards her, and when they were about twenty five feet from each other, he began to sing while bopping his head:

_Meet me halfway_

_right at the borderline is where I'm gonna wait for you_

Abby couldn't help but laugh. When they reached each other Steve held her in his arms and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead.

"The singing may be _a bit _off, but you definitely get an A for effort," said Abby as she tiptoed to kiss him on the lips. "How was your exam?" she asked.

"Pretty good; can't complain. How'd yours go?" Steve asked, while holding her around the waist and leading her towards the bus park.

"I felt it was a good paper. But poor Cory, he's gotta tell Brianna he's a cheater. Paper screwed him hard." Steve laughed so hard that he began to tear. Abby playfully swatted him on the arm, for as far as she was concerned Cory's problem wasn't funny.

"Ow. Babe that's funny and you know it. I'm just being transparent and laughing about it in the open, unlike _some _people who will go and laugh about in the privacy of their bedroom," he said, eyeing his girlfriend cheekily.

"Anyway," he continued, "Nigel shows up today, eh? So you've gotta get home early so you can go pick him up, right?"

"Mm," Abby agreed with a nod. "I can't wait to see him. It's really been too long."

"He's lucky I'm not the jealous type, otherwise he might not make it off the plane when it lands," Steve joked.

They reached the bus and Steve gently pushed his girlfriend ahead of him so that she could board it first. They took their seats at the back of the bus, with Steve choosing the window seat so that he could rest his arm on the open windows' ledge. Abby sat and leaned into him while dropping her back on the empty seat in front of them.

Soon it was time to leave, and the driver got into the bus and revved the engine a bit before putting it into gear. As the bus began to leave, some students came running after the bus. These guys were veteran bus chasers. They were almost left by the bus every week of their high school lives. They just could not keep time even if their lives depended on it. The driver stopped for them so that they could board the bus, but not before torturing them a little. He would slow down, then when the students were almost at the door, he would speed up again.

"Dammit!" one of the students yelled as he entered the bus, all the while throwing a nasty glance at the driver. "Don't you ever quit doing that to us?"

"No," laughed the driver."In fact I hope you fail you're finals so that you have to repeat your final year again. Once you leave I won't have no fun."

The student just clicked his tongue to show his disapproval of that statement. He and his boys walked to the back of the bus to where there were empty seats. He picked up Abby's bag and laid it on his laps as he sat.

" Hey Waweru, gimme the bag, man. I know you're too tired to carry anything after that sprint," Abby said with a smirk.

"Nah, it's all good. You just sit tight with your little _boyfriend_ and enjoy the ride," he replied while directing a nod at Steve in greeting.

"A'right thanks," Abby said before turning to Steve. "Got any plans for the afternoon?"

"Nope. You?"

Abby shook her head in reply. "Let's grab a pizza for lunch."

"Sure, we can eat at my place and play video games."

Abby chuckled, "I'm gonna whoop your ass so bad!"

"Abigail, let's go," yelled Mrs. Lincoln as she grabbed her keys and walked out the door. Abby came running down the stairs, skipping a few as she went.

"Mama says don't run on the stairs, fool!" Jamie told his sister as he watched her from the couch. He got up and headed for the car as Abby swatted his head when she got next to him. He pushed her in retaliation, and sent her flying towards the couch.

"Oh, my bad. Guess I don't know my own strength, ha ha!" Jamie said as he flexed his muscles. He probably really didn't know his own strength. He was now more than a head taller than his sister. Abby quickly got up and chased him but he got into the front passenger seat and locked the door before she could reach him.

Abby opened the back door and jumped into the car shouting, "Ok Ma, to the airport," while trying to pull off the stance of the Fresh Prince when he directed the cab to Bel-air. It didn't quite work because she hit her head against the door frame.

"Sorry baby," Mrs. Lincoln chided. "You'll be ok. You hit your head a number of times when you were a baby. All things considered, I think you've turned out alright," she said as she exited their driveway and sped off for the airport.

"Pmph, that explains a lot," Jamie said under his breath as he laughed to himself. Abby responded with a hot chop to the side of his neck.

The Lincoln's arrived at JKIA about half an hour later, and they went to stand vigil at the International Arrivals section. The board read that Nigel's flight had already arrived, so he should be out soon. After about twenty minutes or so, a tall lean fellow sporting a bald head and fresh stubble walked into the waiting area pulling a medium-sized suitcase behind him. He removed the aviator sunglasses he was wearing and put them into his breast pocket as he looked around for a familiar face.

He spotted a young lady with long dark hair tied in a ponytail who was scrutinizing a large group of athletes that had just arrived from the Commonwealth Games. He approached her as she pointed at one of the members of the national team. When he got close enough to her he barked in her ear to get her attention. She jumped in fright and turned around before her face lit up upon seeing her best friend again. She jumped into his arms so hard that he struggled to maintain his balance.

"Nigel, oh Nigel. I'm so glad to see you…finally. You're here, man," she said as she let go of him and took a couple of steps back to really look at him. She smiled at him saying, "My, and you're mighty handsome too. Rugged - Me likey."

"Thanks," he blushed, "You look great yourself. Very nice. Very," he added as he looked her up and down. He turned to Abby's mom. "Mrs. Lincoln," he said while taking her hand in his in a firm yet gentle handshake, "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"It's good to see you too. I'm glad y'all could come," she said with a smile, as she pulled him into a warm hug.

Abby's head whipped around quickly to look at her mother when she heard what she had just said. But before she could interrogate her, Mrs. Lincoln answered her ringing cell phone.

"Heyya Jamie. Dude, you could probably take me in a fight now, you're so big," Nigel said as he gently punched the boy formerly known as _Little Linc_ in the shoulder.

"You know what, I bet I could," Jamie replied with pride.

"Hey, what did Mom mean by she's glad _y'all _could come?" Abby asked her friend.

When Nigel saw the questioning look on her face, he couldn't help but laugh. "You still do that?" he asked, "Raising your eyebrow when you ask a question?"

"Huh?" Abby's right eyebrow rose even higher, as though it was about to take off.

Nigel laughed even harder at his pal's perplexed face. When he finally caught his breath he replied, "Actually, I don't know what your Mama meant. Ask her when she's done with the phone." Suddenly he jerked his head to the right so that he could see beyond Abby's head. "Who the hell are those?" he asked in his clipped British accent, as he continued to stare behind Abby.

Abby and her brother both turned around to look at who Nigel was talking about. At first, her face registered nothing but shock. However, glee quickly took over as she began to grasp the concept of seeing her other best friends walking towards her with radiant smiles on their faces.

"SURPRISE!" they chorused as they approached, assimilating her into a group hug.

"I…I…what?" is all Abby could muster. She instead went around giving each of her friends their own individual hugs. First Kuki ,then Wallabee, and lastly Hoagie. Finally she said, "I can't believe y'all are here. I feel like I'm dreaming, man." She quickly considered what she had just said before turning to Jamie.

"Don't!" she said just in time, avoiding a pinch from him to show her that she was in fact wide awake and not dreaming.

"This is just too awesome!" Abigail yelled, feeling more alive than ever before.

"You can say that again," chimed Kuki as she embraced her friend again. "You're so pretty," she added.


	3. Chapter 3

This is for _**madier1095**_ and _**UnknownPen**_. You're the reason I keep writing this story. Thanks for all the support. I've got cool ideas that I'm trying to incorporate into future chapters. It's gonna get interesting pretty soon, so stay tuned.

Chapter 3

Abby could not believe her mom had managed to keep such a huge secret. It was the greatest surprise ever, to hear that her best friends had actually been keeping in touch with her mom, and plotted out their visit to Kenya. Mrs. Lincoln had actually bought their tickets, although one way. She and her husband would pay for their holiday expenses too, for they had decided that the kids needed to enjoy some time together with no worries at all. They would pay for a trip to the Mara, as well as one to the coast, where the kids could enjoy some sun and sand.

"Thank you, Mama," Abby would say with the sweetest smile at almost every opportunity.

"You're welcome. Don't forget to thank Daddy too. He helped bring this into reality too, you know."

"I'll thank him as soon as he gets back," Abby said as she carried some snacks and drinks out to the pool area where a group of teenagers were having a good time. Music was blaring from two huge strategically-located speakers, and people were dancing all over the place. Abby had invited her friends from school over so they could meet her best friends.

One of her classmates seemed to be trying very hard to impress Nigel. She kept going up to him every few minutes to talk, but Abby could see her trying to be a little seductive in her bathing suit. She would strike very _convenient_ poses from time to time. Nigel wasn't complaining. He would be found stealing a few glances of Natasha and smiling to himself whenever she took a dip in the pool, or when she'd bend over to pick up some random item from the ground. Her bob hair cut clang to her brown face whenever her head appeared above the pool's surface. Apparently knowing that Nigel liked what he saw, she'd smile and wink at him before going for another swim, probably with hopes of enticing him into the pool. Nigel lowered his dark sunglasses from his forehead onto the bridge of his nose so that he could enjoy the view a little more discreetly.

"Abby, I'm enjoying the pool party," Pauline said as she approached her, dripping water with every step. "T'was a great idea to throw this bash for your peeps. They look like they're enjoying themselves."

"Yeah, I'm glad people are having a good time," Abby replied as she scanned the environment.

"And girl, I like what I see," Pauline said as she stared straight ahead.

Abby followed Pauline's gaze until her eyes settled on Hoagie, who was engaged in some random banter with four other dudes as they grilled sausages and steak. Hoagie had grown his thick, wavy brown hair to cover the back of his neck, but it was not quite shoulder length yet. His locks fell over his forehead and to the sides of his face, where they dipped down low into v-shaped sideburns. He had grown accustomed to running his hand through his hair whenever it obscured his vision. Abby smiled as she continued to take him in. Her buddy had become so many types of fine, it was sinful. He wasn't chubby anymore, but that was because he had hit the gym and converted the fat to muscle. He was still more big-bodied than the other guys at the party. But as far as Abby was concerned, his new physique suited him just fine. He had this little goatee growing on his chin that added to his sex appeal. He was broad shouldered, and stood at about 5' 9". Abby struggled to look away before she could get busted staring at her best friend. She had to; it wouldn't be easy trying to convince people that she was _just_ appreciating the spectacular _landscape_.

The beats blasting from the speakers brought Abby back to her senses. Everybody went crazy when the next song was played, as they jumped around and danced to Bob Sinclair's track:

DANCE (DANCE)

NOW EVERYBODY MOVE (MOVE)

NOW EVERYBODY SHAKE (SHAKE)

NOW EVERYBODY…

(…EVERYBODY DANCE NOW!)

With that, Abby went to dance with the DJ, who just happened to be her boyfriend. Grooving next to them were Wally and Kuki, who were looking exceptionally cute together. It was obvious to everyone they were an item, much to the dismay of some of the chicks at the party. Wally's wet hair clang to his forehead. Nowadays he wore his hair short around the sides and back of his head (about an inch), and growing it longer on the top, much like a crew cut. But he would style the top pointing upwards in random directions, giving him kind of a bad boy look. Kuki's hair covered her bare back, making her look even hotter in her two piece bathing suit whose top was a halter.

When the song ended Abby went over to the grill. "Wow, Hoag, the food smells great," she said as she looked at the juicy steak.

"Tastes even better, I can assure you," he replied, feeding her a piece that he had cut a few moments earlier.

"Mmmm," Abby moaned, "It's really good," she said with a smile as she enjoyed Hoagie's culinary delight. Unbeknownst to them, Steve had seen how Hoagie's hand had lingered a bit too long at his girlfriend's mouth.

"Lemme take some of this around," she said, piling the sausages and pieces of steak onto two plates. The guests dug in quickly, and Abby had to replenish the reserves before her friends could get cranky.

Natasha walked up to Nigel for the umpteenth time that day. "So, are you gonna come for our prom?" she asked.

"Uh… I don't think so, it is _your _prom after all."

"It shouldn't be a problem, you should come. I could be your date," she said slyly. And with that she hurriedly went looking for Abby, to ensure that her friends from home would come for the prom; well, Nigel especially.

"Hey Abs," Kuki shouted down from the staircase, "Can I use your laptop? I'd like to mail home."

"Sure Kuks. Send my love," Abby replied. She'd been lying down on the couch, resting her feet on Nigel's lap as he stretched his arm over the headrest. Hoagie and Wally were each sitting in separate chairs, with the latter crossing his right leg over his left knee in typical male fashion. They were watching _Salt_ in the TV room. The stereo surround of the home theatre made all the sounds like a million times more awesome. But Abby's mind wasn't really on the movie, despite the fact that she really loved action movies, and was a self-proclaimed greatest fan of Angelina. She was thinking about what had transpired the previous night.

Last night was prom night. Abby had already convinced her KND crew to show up for it. Mrs. Lincoln had rented tuxes for the boys, while the girls had gone shopping to buy a dress for Kuki a few days earlier. As Abby was preparing to get dolled up for prom, she saw Hoagie in the bathroom with a razor in hand, busy scrutinizing his jaw line. She had bought a pack of Gillette razor blades for the boys. The door had been left ajar, so without much thought she walked in. He saw her reflection in the mirror.

"Hey," he greeted as he continued to look at her reflection. "Just wondering what I should do with this today," he said as he pointed the razor at his stubble.

Abby took the shaving cream from the cabinet and sprayed it into her hand. She rubbed it into a smooth lather then stood in front of Hoagie so that she could apply it on his face. "Gimme the razor, Hoagie," she said as she rinsed her hands.

"Uh…are you sure you know how to work this? My face is not the same as your legs you know," he said with a nervous laugh.

"Don't worry, just trust me. Look, its triple action," she said, showing him the three blades of the razor. "The first blade cuts close, the second, closer still. And the third chops your head off!" she said with a laugh as his eyes widened in fear. "I sure do crack myself up," she continued. Then all smiles aside, she said seriously, "Trust me."

Hoagie allowed himself to be gently pushed down onto the edge of the tub, so that Abby could have his head at a comfortable height. The pretty lady before him put the razor under running water then brought it up to his face. She began to shave the left side of his face, before moving to the right. Hoagie looked up at her face and noticed the concentration etched in it. Abby carefully avoided the goatee, and after a few minutes she was done.

"Hmm," she said.

"What is it?" Hoagie asked as he began to worry.

"Nothing. It's just…the skin _really_ is as smooth as they say in the ads," she said in slight awe as she let the top side of her hand and fingers feel his clean shaven skin. Coming back to her senses she said, "Alright, all done. You can clean up now." As she turned to leave, Hoagie grabbed her hand as he stood up. She stopped dead in her tracks, turned and looked up into his blue eyes that were staring intensely into hers. After what seemed like an eternity, he softly said, "Thank you." Abby just nodded and made a beeline for her room, shutting the door behind her. She leaned against it, and let out her breath before deeply sucking air into her lungs as she tried to regulate her heartbeat. _Dammit, I shouldn't have gone in there, _she thought to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Call me when you are ready to leave, ok?" Jim Njeru told his boss's daughter as his passengers got out of the car.

"Sawa*, boss," Abby replied with a huge grin.

Jim would get really jazzed whenever Abby spoke to him in Kiswahili. He smiled to himself and drove away as the teenagers walked further into the school grounds. They could already hear music from the hall, which was making Abby giddy, because she loved the tunes and just wanted to get her groove on. Looking around at her four friends, she commented to no one in particular about their attire, "My peeps are so fly!"

Nigel looked like a sexy Secret Service agent in his tux. He wore a white shirt with a narrow black tie. Knowing that his beard grows at the speed of light, he had shaved his face clean the previous night, so that he could have an ever so vague outline of stubble on prom night. That coupled with black aviators would be enough to turn the ladies' heads.

Kuki was wearing a lime green strapless dress that contrasted magnificently with her skin. It cascaded down her body to her feet, giving the illusion that she was approximately two inches taller than her 5'6". She had applied a little pink blush to her cheeks to give them a warm colour, and pinned her hair up so that her neck was exposed. She wore a delicate silver necklace that Wally had bought her a few months earlier.

Like Nigel, Wallabee wore a black silk tie. But that was where the similarities ended. He decided to wear a purple shirt and black low-cut waist coat instead of a jacket. He was glad the prom was not strictly black tie. In fact, Abby had told him it didn't matter what one wore, as long as it looked cool (and kind of formal). _The kids in this school, _hethought to himself_, are my kind of people._ He never understood why only the chicks should look different, what with their different dresses, while the guys all looked the same whichever direction one turned. Wally's blond hair was kind of untidy, though it could be seen that he had actually tried to do something with it. He also wore a stud on his right ear lobe. Abby felt that no one else she knew could pull off Wally's look and succeed, for he had completed his outfit with a pair of pure white sneakers, much to the chagrin of Mrs. Lincoln. She thought he was absolutely mad. "Don't make me come and dress you up," she had threatened.

Hoagie and Abby walked together arm in arm. She looked up at him and quietly complimented, "You look absolutely dashing tonight." He wore a black shirt with his tux, contrasting the outfit with a crimson tie. She loved what he had done with his hair. After his shower he had towel-dried his hair then dipped his fingers in a bit of gel before running them through his hair. He pushed his hair backwards, so as to show off his perfect hairline and sideburns. That way his hair did not look too slick, but had quite a bit of volume to it.

He gave her a sweet smile. "Why, thank you," he said just as quietly. "You deserve some of the credit. You _did_ help me shave," he said with a twinkle in his eyes as he bit his lower lip in an attempt to suppress a smile.

Walking in front of the whispering couple, Kuki couldn't help but giggle. "Those two are so falling for each other all over again," she told Wally and Nigel.

"Good. I think Hoagie will be truly happy with Abs, know what I mean? OW, what the crud was that for?" Wally asked as he rubbed his ribs where Kuki had painfully nudged him only a moment before. She gave him a disapproving look before he quickly turned to Nigel. "No offence, man. I just meant…never mind."

Nigel just grunted in reply, the wheels in his head turning furiously as he thought of Eva. Behind him, the whispers and quiet laughter continued.

"Listen, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret," Hoagie told Abby as he looked right and left in mock search for eavesdroppers. As they walked into the school hall, he turned to her again and continued in turbo-tongue, "You're the most beautiful girl south of the Sahara, north of the Limpopo, east of the Great Rift Valley, west of Indian Ocean, straddling the equator…" he paused to catch his breath.

"Straddling? Really, straddling?" Abby asked incredulously.

"I'm just trying to pin-point the location," Hoagie said defensively, before stiffly sticking his tongue out at her. "But in all honesty, you're breath-taking in that dress."

Abby could hear the sincerity in his voice, let alone see it in his eyes. He didn't just say that as a compliment. He meant it. She wore a dainty little black dress that showed off her fabulous figure and shapely legs. She accessorized with a pearl necklace and matching bracelet. Her hair had been curled and left to fall to her shoulders.

"Look around, no other girl can hold a candle to you."

"Thank you," she blushed.

The five friends mingled and danced with the other students present. After about half an hour, Abby spotted her boyfriend talking with Pauline. She walked over to them cautiously upon realizing that Steve looked upset. "Hey," Abby greeted.

"See?" Pauline asked Steve before turning to Abby and greeting her with a kiss on the cheek, "Hey, lady. I'll just go over there for no apparent reason," she said as she went to hang out with Kuki and the others. Natasha was already entertaining Nigel with one of her many stories.

"What's going on?" Abby asked Steve.

"Oh, so now you care?"

Abby was surprised by his tone. "Is there something wrong?"

"Clearly. I've been waiting for you to notice me for the past half hour."

"You mean you were here? I'm sorry, I didn't see you," she said honestly.

"Of course you wouldn't see me with Mr. Fantastic around," he said pointing angrily at Hoagie.

Abby felt her cheeks flood with heat. She held out her hand to him, but Steve hesitated before taking it in his. She led him away from the drinks stand towards the many vacated tables where they could have a little more privacy. They sat down with their backs to the dancing crowd.

"I am sorry...I am truly sorry if I made you feel neglected," she said slowly. "Steve, please…look at me," she pleaded.

Turning his head slowly towards her, he responded, "You know what? I love you, but you're making a _fool_ out of me."

Abby felt like she had just been slapped in the face. "That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" she said as she tried to cool her rising temper.

"Is it, really? What would you say about a guy whose girl has been flirting with another guy…right in front of him?"

"I've not been flir…ting, have I?" she asked herself. Furrowing her brow in deep thought, she tried to see herself through her boyfriend's eyes. She thought of the time she had thrown the pool party, as well as that current evening. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed in realization. "Oh... I'm so sorry Steve. I've just realised what it must have looked like from your point of view."

Steve laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, I'm sorry too." He ran his fingers roughly through his hair before leaning forward in his seat and resting his elbows on his knees. Interlocking his fingers, he supported his chin and looked over at the dance floor before continuing, "Funny thing is, you were clueless about what was going on between you two. It's not that _it looked like something from my point of view, _there _was_ something. There _is_ something. You're so happy with him here. It just sucks to realize that you were never as happy with me."

"But I _was_ happy with you," Abby said, now feeling frustrated.

"Yes, you were happy, but…I dunno how to explain it," he said, at a loss for words. "When he came, something in you awoke. Something that I didn't even realize was missing until I saw it in your eyes whenever you were around him.

'I knew that we would break up this year, after the exams. I guess I just didn't expect it to happen with such a bang. I mean…to even know who you'll end up with after _me_. It just…sucks.

'Though, I brought it on myself. By the time I asked you out, I knew we'd break up. I knew it would be around now seeing as we're going off to college. So it was inevitable. But still, I went ahead with it coz I was so into you, and I figured I might as well get a few months with you than to be left wondering what it could have been like with you, had I not asked you out. Thing is, I think I've fallen in love with you."

Steve let out a sigh. He looked so defeated. Abby, being the secret softie that she was, could not stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks.

"A-Abby, p-please don't cry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to m-make you cry," he stammered. "It's not your fault. You can't help who you love. I love you, you love Hoagie. It's life – things just happen. Don't cry," he begged as he got off his chair and knelt before her, holding her to his chest as she tried to stifle her cries.

"Steve, I am so so sorry." She held on to his lapel like a lifeline.

"Shhh," he soothed. "It's ok. It's ok. Shhh," he said as he gently rocked her back and forth.

When she had stopped crying, Steve raised her chin so he could look at her face. The sorrow he saw made him feel guilty. "Come on, let's have this last dance," he said a little more animatedly as the DJ began to play slow tracks. Abby got up, and he led her onto the floor where other couples were slow dancing. _Clearly this DJ is high on some cheap shit,_ she thought as she recognized the song that was just starting. _Isn't he supposed to be playing love songs?_

_Remember all the things we _

_wanted_

_Now all our memories, they're_

_haunted_

_We were always meant to say _

_goodbye_

Steve held Abby close to him, holding her as though she were a delicate flower. They began to sway in time with the tempo. Usually Abby loved that song, but at that particular moment, it was just too melancholy, for she and Steve were actually living the lyrics.

_I want you to know_

_That it doesn't matter _

_Where we take this road _

_But someone's gotta go_

When the song ended, Steve let go of Abby and cupped her cheek with his right hand. He inclined his neck down towards her, bringing his lips to within a millimeter of her other cheek where he lingered before planting a soft kiss. "Goodbye Abigail. I pray for only the best for you," he said with an attempt at a smile. Then he turned and walked away. He passed Hoagie swiftly before stopping and going back to him. "Take good care of her," he said, looking Hoagie in the eye.

"I will," he promised.

Then Steve O'Connor was gone. Abby just stood where he had left her among the dancing couples, looking flabbergasted. She never thought that she could hurt someone so bad. It broke her heart. Pauline went over to the dance floor to get her best friend. She led Abby to her KND friends who had watched her discreetly the whole time she was having her talk with her now ex boyfriend. Kuki took her left arm as Pauline had her right. "Come on Abs, let's go home."

She let them lead her away, but she paused when she reached Hoagie. All her pride had been washed away when she cried in public, so she had no qualms about being extremely honest with him at that moment. "I'm in love with you. I'm in freakin' love with you," she said, looking slightly surprised at her own revelation. Sandwiched between the two girls, Abby exited the building.

xxx

Kensei could not believe his eyes and good fortune as he read the e-mail for the third time.

_Hey Mush,_

_Hope you're all doing well. I'm great – enjoying the holiday. __ Bet you wish you were me._

_So we'll be going to the Mara next week for three days, then we head down to the beach for 2 wks. Our flight home is booked for the 15__th__. So we'll have like a week and a half to get ready for college. Hey, why you leaping for joy? I'll be coming home pretty often since Regal is fairly close. (Just ruined your party, didn't I? Haha ; p)_

_Abby sends her love by the way. It's great that she's coming home too. It will be just like old times, yay!_

_Alright, say hi to Mom and Dad._

_Love you, see you soon._

_Kuks._

A smile spread on his face as Kensei thought of Abby. He gave a little laugh before saying, "That girl is MINE!"

xxx

*Sawa is Swahili for ok/alright.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Say cheese everybody."

"Cheese!" and "Make me!" were yelled out simultaneously. Kuki looked at the latest picture she had taken. "Wally, what were you doing with your mouth?" she laughed.

"Lemme see," Wallabee demanded hotly as he tried to grab the camera. Looking at it, he began pressing the buttons of the digital camera as he prepared to delete the image. But before he could confirm the command, Kuki had taken possession of the camera again. "No deleting! Who told you not to smile, *baka!"

"Really Wally, you're too rough. One of these days you'll send your poor girlfriend flying," Abby commented as she stretched her limbs.

"Never!" Wally responded as he instead tickled Kuki in retaliation. "I'd never hurt my girl," he said as she burst into laughter, all the while trying to free herself from his grasp and roaming hand. Nigel quickly dispossessed Kuki of the camera as she and her boyfriend fell to the ground, where they eventually made themselves comfortable on the grass.

The crew was at the Maasai Mara, having arrived not too long ago. The drive there had been very bumpy as they approached Narok, but fascinating none the less. Kuki was officially inaugurated photographer-in-chief, a post she was more than glad to hold. She took several pictures on the way to the Mara. When they got to the main gate of the reserve, they found many local women dressed in Maasai regalia who were selling all sorts of curios, sandals and *vikoi. Kuki bought herself a pair of brown leather sandals that had little blue and green beads which beautifully decorated the straps. The boys each bought a bracelet in the colours that appealed to them, while Abby bought quite a few long beaded necklaces, which she rotated several times around her wrists and forearms until they became loosely fitting bracelets.

Once they had unloaded the van of their luggage, one of the guides under the employ of Kuzuri Camp took them to an open space where there were a number of pitched tents, and pointed out the one that would be their residence for the next three days. It was big enough to comfortably accommodate their five sleeping bags. Nigel was sure he had heard the guide (who introduced himself as Tom) quietly say something about hormones, and hoping that all the kids would be doing in their tent is sleeping. Next, Tom took them around the camp, showing them where the facilities were, and where they would be having their meals.

That night, all the campers had dinner together around a bonfire. They got to know each other, danced and made merry. At about midnight Wally decided they should hit the sack for they would have to rise fairly early the next morning if they were to make it for the early game drive. Kuki and Nigel followed suit, leaving behind Hoagie and Abby.

The two sat together on one of the benches around the fire under the dark cloudless heavens that were peppered with a myriad of constellations. Most of the other campers had already gone to bed, the remaining few were telling stories as they enjoyed the warmth still emanating from the dying flames. The embers sent some sparks flying into the air where they mingled with the fireflies, although the latter outlasted the former in their display of lights. The grass rustled in the midnight breeze, and Hoagie pulled the blanket more tightly around them, causing him to bring Abby's body much closer to his. He had brought her to sit between his legs as he leaned against the backrest of the squeaking bench. She shifted her body slightly a few times before she snuggled comfortably into his chest. He rested his chin on her left shoulder while she rested her head against his right one. He caught a faint whiff of her fragrance, and ironically, the minuscule amount was enough to intoxicate him. The wind suddenly whistled in their ears, and Abby shivered as she bunched the blanket in her fists, bringing it tighter still around them.

"You wanna go inside?" Hoagie asked softly. "Wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

"Nah, I like it here," she replied.

"Ok," he whispered into her neck.

They continued to sit in silence, enjoying the natural sounds of the night such as the melody of chirping crickets and intermittent howls and roars of predators. After a while, Hoagie spoke quietly, "Abby?"

"Hmm?" she responded drowsily.

"Just in case you were wondering…I love you too."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

After a moment's silence Abby asked, "But?"

"But I have a girlfriend." Hoagie felt her body tense ever so slightly.

"I'm the other woman," she said flatly.

"Not the other woman. _**The **_woman. The one I was always meant to be with, but couldn't be with sooner due to unforeseen circumstances."

Silence.

"If we're gonna do this, we've gotta do this right," she said, almost inaudibly.

Early the next morning, Wally roused his tent-mates with a loud, "Rise and shine everybody! Its game drive –"

Before he could complete his wake up call, Wallabee was stunned by the sudden impact of a well-aimed projectile against the side of his head that originated from Nigel's battle station. The latter had just thrown his pillow upon his rude awakening, and even with his weariness, Wally saw him clumsily looking around for something else to throw at him.

"What the crud?"

"Shut up!"

The commotion was enough to wake the others, except Abby who remained spread eagle in her sleeping bag. Kuki and Hoagie sat up in their bags and watched the ensuing battle. Wally, after regaining his senses, had swung his own pillow hard, hitting Nigel at point blank range. The Briton fell backwards, where he showed his acrobatic prowess for he managed to twist his body before he could hit the ground, so that he could plant his palms firmly on the ground and thus suspend himself above the still sleeping Abby. "Bloody hell!" he exclaimed with a sigh as he thought of how he could have very easily broken a few of her bones.

"Stop it, Wally," Kuki commanded.

But he just ignored her. He quickly picked up her pillow and flung it at Nigel as he got to his feet. They continued their pillow fight before Kuki intervened.

"Dammit, Wally," she half yelled as she pulled him by the vest and kissed him hard on the lips. He became limp in her arms, and as he was beginning to really get into it, she suddenly withdrew from him, leaving him breathless and glazy eyed. An opening; Nigel threw his pillow straight at Wally.

"Stop it!" Kuki's voice was vile as her eyes shot daggers at Nigel.

"Yes, ma'am," he whispered contritely.

"Gee, you guys sure are cranky in the morning," was all Hoagie could say, before looking at Abby and wondering if she had died in the night.

xxx

The following days the crew went for a number of game drives. Wally was so excited when they saw three lionesses hunting down a wildebeest. He just could not stop talking about. Luckily Kuki had recorded the hunt on her camera. He soon took it from her so that he could record every slight movement - the crocodiles on the banks, the hippos in the river, the vultures shredding a carcass, the cheetah cubs learning to pounce - everything.

xxx

Even though it is a widely accepted fact that time flies when having fun, the crew still could not believe that they were already in the final week of their holiday. They had arrived at the south coast the previous week, where Abby's parents had rented a cottage for the duration of their stay. In that time they had all got quite a tan. However, Abby was the least tanned, for Hoagie had often rubbed sunscreen on her. Not that she was complaining – the ocean, sunshine and Hoagies' hands were all the R&R she needed. They rarely swam in the pool, instead opting to spend entire days at the beach, and would walk to the reef in the mid morning during the low tide.

Wally had been making fun of his girlfriend for the past few days, for she had nearly had a heart attack when a little white crab had scurried over her leg while she was basking on the sand. It didn't help that the two beach boys playing in the water with an octopus had seen her reaction. They laughed and tried to scare her with their eight-armed playmate.

On a lazy afternoon, Nigel had called Hoagie aside. "I hope you know what you're doing, my friend," he asked, concern shown on his face as he nodded towards Abby, who was lying on a sunbed under the shade of a makeshift thatch roofed shelter. It was her special vantage point where she would watch the deep blue sea, its waves crashing over the reef. But right then she was following the apparent slow progress of huge oil ships disappear over the horizon, as well as the locals carrying tourists in their white sailboats.

"I don't wanna play games. I'll do what I have to," Hoagie replied as he looked at the African American of his dreams.

"Alrighty then," Nigel said with an audible sigh as he patted his friend on the back.

xxx

"See you in six months, darling," Mrs. Lincoln said as she hugged and kissed Abby. "Concentrate on your studies, ok?" she said, giving her daughter a knowing look as she glanced quickly at Hoagie.

"Why mother, whatever do you mean?" Abby asked in the sweetest possible voice. "See you soon, Jamie. Take good care of yourself and Mama," she directed her brother, as she hugged him.

"Bye, sis. Try not to miss me too much," Jamie said with a smile.

Once everyone had exchanged their goodbyes, the crew went to check in their luggage. Much later, a voice over the speaker announced it was time to board the plane. The five friends exited the corridor as they walked out into the night's chill.

"So, you ready to go home?" Hoagie asked Abby as he draped his arm over her shoulder.

"Oh, hell yeah!" she replied enthusiastically. "I'm coming home, I'm coming home. Tell the world that I'm coming…home," she sang as she spread her arms.

Hoagie smiled sweetly down at her as he drew her closer to him, rubbing her arm up and down to rid her of the chill.

xxx

*Baka is Japanese for fool/idiot

*Vikoi (kikoi-singular) are beautiful, colourful rectangular cotton cloths that can be worn on the waist, as a shawl, etc.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Pauline ran down the corridors of the building. "Crap, crap, crap," she kept muttering under her breath for she was already ten minutes late for her first class. She barely slowed down enough to avoid bursting through the door to her English class. "Sorry, Sir," she said sheepishly as the lecturer turned to look at her. The class burst into laughter as she just stood at the door.

"As I was saying class, before I was rudely interrupted," the lecturer continued as some kids burst into new fits of laughter, "truancy will not be tolerated. Consider this your final warning. Now take your seat." He spoke with an air of arrogance.

Pauline quickly sat down at the front of the class. She would have preferred a seat at the middle of the class, but she did not really have a choice, seeing as most of the seats were already taken.

When class was dismissed, the students rushed out of class. As Pauline passed the lecturer's desk, he spoke, "You're not from around here." The statement hang in the air for a while. "Where are you from?"

Pauline was starting to get irritated. He wasn't even looking at her as he spoke. Instead, he was slowly flipping through the pages of his book while he addressed her. _What's wrong with this fool? _"I'm from Kenya," she replied, trying with all her might to keep her voice even.

"You'll like it here." He lifted his gaze to her and smirked. "You'll like my class," he drawled, then waved his hand dismissively as he returned his attention to his book.

She walked out as she rolled her eyes. Pauline headed straight for the school cafeteria, hoping to see a familiar face. She saw Nigel sitting by himself at a table as he read through a course text. She joined him at the table, taking a seat opposite him. "Hey."

"Hey. How was class?" he replied as he shut his book.

"Ugh," she said as she leaned back in her chair. "The lecturer is a bastard. He's so freaking condescending." Then she suddenly changed the topic as she doodled on the table with her index finger. "You have nice eyes. I rarely see you without your stunners. It's good that you didn't wear them today. You should make a point of losing them every so often."

Nigel gave a small laugh. "Thanks," he said. "Want some juice?" he asked as he offered her his drink.

"Nah," she replied. "So what's your story?" she asked as she leaned forward in her seat.

He raised his eyebrow questioningly.

"You're always broody. You think too much. Let loose a little, relax. Is it a girl?" she asked, looking him in the eye.

"Uh…"

"You don't have to tell me. But tell someone. Lighten your load. It's not good to be this young, this _fine_, and yet think so much."

"You're too observant," he commented with a smile. He noticed Pauline was looking at someone behind him. He turned just as Abby was about to hit him on the back his head.

"Phooey, you turned," she said as she hit him anyway. Abby high-fived Pauline as she took a seat beside Nigel. "So, wha'sup?" she asked.

"My lecturer's a bastard," Pauline began.

"Who's he?"

"A certain _Mr. _Wyatt," she said with an ounce of disgust.

"Woo, the young one? He's hot!"

"That's beside the point. Can't you see I'm trying hate here? Get with the program," Pauline complained.

"Ugh, he's an ass," Abby complied as she made a face.

"Thank you."

Nigel shook his head in disbelief.

xxx

Looking around at the living room of his new house, Kensei was satisfied with its appearance. Its décor was fairly expensive yet somewhat simple. His favourite piece of furniture was the plum red chaise lounge that was placed at the furthest wall from the TV, next to a yet to be filled bookshelf. From there one could see the kitchen with its open layout, and vice versa, which was a good thing since he loved to cook, and would love to see who he would be cooking for while he did it. A soft cream rug lay in the middle of the space between the black leather seats. The walls were painted beige, with beautiful flowered motifs of a slightly darker shade at the border. "This _is _nice," he said, giving the room a final once over before heading out the door. He removed his cell phone from his jacket pocket and dialed a number. Kensei listened to the tone as the phone rang on the other end a few times before the recipient picked up.

"Kensei," the deep voice said.

"We need to meet," Kensei replied.

"The club. VIP room. 11 p.m."

Kensei hang up.

The following day, Hoagie skipped breakfast at home so that he could meet Abby at a diner.

"Well, I wish you would have told me, then I wouldn't have made extra," his mom complained.

"Sorry," he said, looking truly apologetic. "It was kind of a last minute plan." He kissed her on the cheek and said, "Tommy can it my share anyway. He's a growing boy, right?"

She snorted as she thought of how her last born son was always used, or rather misused, by the rest of the family whenever anyone could not finish their meal. Hoagie picked up his guitar bag and back pack. "See you later, Mom," he said, walking out the kitchen door to the garage. He unlocked his car, a black old school Chevy convertible with red seats, and threw in his stuff, before getting into the driver's seat. He backed out of the garage onto the driveway and sped down the street, his mind fixed on his destination.

About twenty minutes later, he was seated across from Abby, munching on waffles and sausages and drinking hot cocoa, while the latter had white coffee and a huge chocolate donut. "So I'm going to go see her this afternoon," Hoagie said as he wiped his mouth with a serviette.

"I don't envy you at all, to be honest."

"Yeah," he said with a sigh. "It will hurt her, but it has got to be done. I love you, and I wanna be with you – more than you can imagine. But it can't happen till she's out of the picture." He gulped what little cocoa was left in his mug. "You've got a little something here," he added as he pointed at the corner of his mouth in reference to hers.

Abby tried but failed to successfully lick the chocolate off of the corner of her mouth. He gave a little laugh and said, "Well, that's very…_ladylike _of you." She felt her cheeks heat up with slight embarrassment.

Before she could wipe her mouth with her serviette, Hoagie had already used his extra one to gently wipe it clean. She looked down as she blushed even more. _God, _she thought, _how can someone have this effect on me? "_I'm Abby for heaven's sake .Freakin' Abigail Lincoln. You're not supposed to be able to make me all _shy_ and _embarrassed_ and _take my breath away_," she said with a drawl on the key verbs and phrases.

"Oh? And why is that?" he asked innocently as he lightly ran his finger along the length of her forearm.

"Because I am made of steel, dammit."

Hoagie tilted his head as he looked at her, waiting for her to look up again. When she finally did he said with a smile, his head still tilted, "You're very cute when you're all _shy_ and _embarrassed_…and breathless."

Abby sighed. "You make my heart melt," she replied, looking him in the eye as she smiled back.

After their meal, Hoagie dropped Abby in school since he would have had to bypass it on his way to Chad's place. As she got out of the car she said, "Thanks for the ride." Then she spotted the guitar case in the back seat. "You play the guitar?" she asked, before adding, "Oh yeah, I remember you had a guitar as a kid."

"Yeah. I never played much back then, coz I had more _interesting_ things to do," he replied with a wink. "But after we got decommissioned, I had time on my hands. So I learnt. It gets me paid, so hey."

"Awesome! You've gotta teach me. I've always wanted to learn. So what, you tutor?"

"Nah, I'm in a band. I'm actually going for a practice session right now. I'd love for you to come for one of our gigs some time."

"No doubt, I'm there," she said excitedly. "A'right, talk to you later," she said as she shut the door and headed for class.

xxx

Seated a few tables from Abby and Hoagie at the diner, she could not believe what she was seeing. Whatever the case, she had to tell her best friend. She quickly got her phone from her purse and typed a text before sending it.

A few blocks away, Eva's phone sounded as a message was received. She had been lounging on her bed listening to music as she checked her inbox. She sat up straight as she read the message, the rate of her heartbeat quickening as she imagined all sorts of things:

OMG, I've got to see you ASAP. It's about Hoagie!

From: Lizzie

02/09/2011 09:17 AM


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Wally was walking Kuki down to Pasty's for her late afternoon shift. It was a fifteen minute walk from school. When they arrived at the fast food restaurant, he suggested that she call him when her shift is over so that he could pick her up. "I don't want you walking around late at night," he had said.

"I don't think that would be necessary, Wall. The streets are still pretty lively at eleven."

"It's not debatable, baby. When you're ready to close shop, call me." She nodded in agreement and he stole a kiss before watching her enter the restaurant. As he turned around to head back to school, his phone rang.

"Yeah?"

"Uh…hi," the voice said nervously.

"Hey Joey, what's up?"

"Um, could I see you this afternoon?"

"That…will be pretty hard," Wally replied slowly. "I've got class this evening. So, you know, unless we meet up after that?"

"That would work. Will you come home?"

"Fine. See you later."

xxx

There was a quick knock on the door numbered 157. When the occupant of the room opened the door, she looked up at him warily. "Hi Hoagie," she said as she gestured for him to come in.

"Hey Eva," he replied. He stood in the centre of the room and waited for her to invite him to sit. He was very tense, and Eva Roberts had noticed. When they were both seated on the little couch between the beds she asked, "Is everything alright?"

He inclined his body toward her and took her hand in his. He took a deep breath then said, "Listen, I've got something to tell you." He looked at the beautiful red head staring up at him, and for a few seconds he lost his voice. He bit his lower lip then finally he managed to say, "I'm sorry, but…"

"You're not breaking up with me," she cut in matter-of-factly. "You're not going to leave me for some random girl you met in a diner."

Hoagie was confused. "What…huh?"

"I know you were with some girl this morning. And I know you were all cute and cuddly together. But I also know you're not a cheater. So I'm sure you had a temporary lapse of judgement, because you love me. You told me you do."

He was quiet for a while as he mused to himself, before asking, "How did you know where I was this morning?"

"Lizzie saw you, and she told me you were cheating on me."

Out of a lack of expression, Hoagie simply scratched his head in response to what he had just heard. "I wasn't cheating."

"I know. But I also know from the description of you two in the diner that she is definitely competition."

"Listen. That girl is Abby – Numbuh 5. I always had a crush on her, you know that."

The revelation stunned Eva. "She came back?" she asked very quietly, before adding, "But that was then, for goodness sake." He could hear the desperation in her voice. "We're together now."

"But that's just it," he said. "I have feelings for her. Being with you…If I stay with you, I won't really _**be **_with you, coz my mind and my heart will always be with _her." _She turned away from him as she felt her heart break. "You don't deserve that," Hoagie continued. If we stay together, it's like you'll just be settling for what you've got. You deserve a guy who will love you, completely."

"Please," she turned to him and begged, holding his hand between her smaller ones, "Please don't leave me."

"I am so sorry. I never wished to hurt you. But, I am in love Abby…and I can't tell myself to not _feel_ what I feel."

"If you leave me, I will die."

"No you won't. You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. I should know," he said with a little smile as he hoped to make her feel better, though he knew it was an effort in vain.

"No, I will kill myself!"

"Dammit, don't say shit like that." Hoagie was starting to get mad. _You don't joke about things like that._

"I mean it!" She threatened. "You know girls don't just say things like that for nothing. Think of Nigel."

"Listen," he said as he got up, "You just need a little time alone to think. So do that," he said, reaching for the door handle. He opened it and gave her a last look before exiting the room. He could hear her shout, "Don't leave me, Hoagie!"

xxx

Abby and Nigel had gone for a walk outside the school compound. She wanted company as she went to the park. There were pretty flowers in the park, and she liked flowers. She loved the vibrancy brought about by the variety of colours. Plus, it was the fall, so she wanted to enjoy the flowers while she still could before winter set in. As they sat in the park, Nigel received a phone call, cutting short their conversation.

He listened to the other party before saying, "Calm down." Abby looked at him questioningly, then she turned her head to look at the little kids playing in the sand box. She loved kids.

"Are you sure? Surely, she can't be serious," he told the caller, although his voice was now laced with worry. He listened some more and said, "Alright, I'll go see her."

When he hang up Abby looked at him expecting an explanation. "It's Hoagie," he said. "He's just come from meeting Eva. As can be expected, she didn't take what he had to say too well."

"O-_kay_," Abby said, with emphasis on the second syllable. "But why is he calling you?"

"She's threatening to kill herself," he said with an involuntary gulp.

"What? No way!" she exclaimed. "But what can you do about it? Are you close? Like, can you talk her out of it?"

"I bloody well hope so. She's my cousin. You remember Numbuh 10, don't you?"

"Eva is Numbuh 10?" Abby asked, surprised. She definitely did not expect that at all. Upon seeing the concern on Nigel's face, she added, "She wouldn't do anything so stupid. She was smart; I bet she still is."

He leaned forward and supported his head in hands. Although Nigel was facing straight ahead, his eyes were distant. He wasn't really seeing the lush green grass and lively children in front of him. When he spoke, there was pain reflected in his voice. "Abby, right now I could have been a father." Abby was kept mum, wondering what the hell he was talking about.

"Approximately three years ago, I impregnated a girl. I didn't really know her, but we went to the same school. When she told me she was pregnant, I freaked out. I was like, 'I can't deal with this', and I walked away. She called me a few times; she was scared. The few times I'd pick up, she'd said if I didn't stand by her during the pregnancy she'd kill herself. I told her to just chill. I needed a little time, you know? Anyway, I guess she figured I wasn't going to man up, so she popped several pills and died of an overdose." At this point he grew silent, looking down at his shoes.

Abby moved closer to him so as to embrace him. "It was not your fault," she whispered as she cradled his head in her arms. His body suddenly shook violently before he regained his composure, and he roughly wiped away a tear that had betrayed him. "It was not your fault."

"I killed my kid," he said quietly. Abby maintained a respectable silence. After a while, Nigel got to his feet. "I've got to go check up on Eva. Thanks…for listening to my crap. Just…thanks."

"Anytime," she replied with a sad smile.

"And for what it's worth, if anything at all, I'm glad you and Hoagie can get another chance."

Abby quickly raised then lowered her right eyebrow in acknowledgement.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Wally got home at about 7:30 in the evening. He rang the bell and waited for someone to open the door. Joey opened it a few seconds later. Wallabee noticed the tired look on his brother's face. But there was something else there too – worry. "Hi Wally. Thanks for coming, man."

"Sure, you made it sound important," he replied as he passed through the threshold. "Where's Mom?"

"In the bath. Let's talk in my room, please."

They walked quietly past their father who was asleep in his chair with the remote in hand. They went up the stairs and turned left in the corridor. Wally dropped himself on his brother's bed, looking at him expectantly. "Spill," he said. "What's got you so worked up?"

Joey was really nervous now. He had always looked up to his older brother. Whatever opinion Wally had of him was of great importance. And now he was about to disappoint him. His body was shaking involuntarily, but he managed to find his voice and a little courage too. "I'm in trouble." Wally did not speak, but he sat up straighter so that he could look at his miniature self properly. Joey continued, "I've been doing weed…for a while now. And I'm up to my nose in debt." Wally's face was unreadable. Joey added, "I've got two weeks to pay up, or else I'm in deep shit."

Finally, Wally opened his mouth to speak. "You're already in deep shit." His voice was ice cold. "For heaven's sake man, what the crud were you thinkin'?" he asked as he raised his voice gradually.

"Shhh, Wally please," Joey reacted as he turned to face the door, worrying that their mother might hear them and come in any time. "I know I messed up. But please, help me," he pleaded.

"How much do you owe?" Wally asked, though he knew he didn't want to know.

"Five hundred."

"Dollars?" Wally squealed, his eyes as wide as saucers. "How the _hell _do you smoke five hundred dollars worth of weed?" His brother was mute, and looked just like a little boy being reprimanded for naughty behaviour. "I don't have that kind of money, man. SHHHIT!" He banged the side of his fist against the nearest wall as he stood up.

There was a sharp rap on the door. "Joey, are you in there with someone?" The youngest Beatles hurried to open the door, revealing his mother on the other side. "Oh Wally, you're home," she said happily as she went in to give him a hug.

"Hi Mom. How've you been these past few days?" he asked with a smile. Joey was amazed at how his brother's face had transformed so quickly to that of almost Christmas cheer. Just a second ago he was looking utterly unapproachable.

"I've been a'right. But I've missed you, love. Please tell me you're spending the night," she said as she gave him a look he simply could not deny.

"Oh, ok, I'll stay. But could I borrow the car later to pick Kuki up from work? Her shift ends at eleven."

"Sure, love," she said as she exited the room to go prepeare dinner, looking rather pleased with herself.

Wally turned to his brother and said in a somewhat murderous tone, "We'll talk about this later."

xxx

Kensei walked up to the entrance of Club Allure. The huge bouncers at the door gave him a curt nod as he walked into the building. He looked around the huge room before him which was lit by blue and purple neon lights. He scanned the bar then the dancefloor for any sign of his new recruits. He finally spotted a young handsome man having a drink with one of the regular visitors of the club. Kensei wondered if the young fellow would be successful tonight. He found his way up the stairs where he proceeded down the corridor toward the VIP room. The man guarding the door did not bother to waste a smile on the approaching visitor. Kensei stopped in front of him, raising his arms as he was quickly searched for a weapon. Satisfied that he was clean, the security personnel dressed in black granted Kensei access into room.

As he walked in, he stopped by the mini-bar to pour himself a drink. He then walked up to Greg Richards who was sitting on the couch with one of his favourite boys. Greg stood up, straightening his suit as he did so, and shook Kensei's hand. "Kensei, it's been a while."

"Indeed," Kensei replied as he looked down at the boy who was still holding on to Greg's left hand, caressing it ever so softly. "I'm here for my money. I can see one of the new boys is doing pretty well for himself," he said as he walked over to the tinted windows and looked down at the bar where his recruit was still drinking with his potential client.

"Of course. You always knew how to pick 'em," Greg said as he took a drag from his cigar. He then freed his left hand from the grasp of the boy and clicked his fingers at one of his security men who were seated in the shadows, virtually invisible. The man brought his boss an envelope from a cabinet in the corner of the room. Greg then handed it to Kensei, who unceremoniously opened it to count the bills. Having confirmed the amount, he put the envelope in his jacket pocket. "Good," he said. "Till next time." He shook Greg's hand and turned to leave. But the latter spoke. "Can't I offer you a good time tonight?" he asked in reference to the two girls who were seated on the couch opposite Greg's.

Kensei sighed. "Not tonight."

xxx

The next day, Hoagie attended his micro-economics class; a class he shared with Eva. He looked around for but could not spot her. He was barely paying attention to what the lecturer was saying. All he had on his mind was Eva, and whether she was actually ok, all things considered. No sooner was the class dismissed than he ran out, dialing her number. As he walked toward the cafeteria, he waited for her to pick up. His call went unanswered, and he began to panic._ Please don't do anything stupid, _he thought as he ran up the stairs where he knew he would find Nigel.

Upon reaching the top landing, he quickly spotted his bald friend. "Dude, please tell me you've spoken to Eva," he said as he dropped his bag on an empty chair. "Uh..hey," he added as Nigel gave him a stern look. Hoagie had failed to acknowledge the presence of his friend's classmates that were seated with him at the table. "Hey," they greeted back in what might have been thought to be a rehearsed chorus.

He looked back at Nigel, waiting for an answer. "I spoke to her," he said calmly.

"And?" Hoagie asked impatiently.

"She'll be alright. She just needed a shoulder to cry on. But you should go see her, to smooth things out as best you can." Then he added as an afterthought. "Lizzie will take care of her."

Hoagie took to his heels again. "Take care of my bag, will ya?" He couldn't really hear what Nigel's response to that was, though he didn't care. A few minutes later he was standing outside Eva's room, waiting for her to open the door. "Eva, come on," he pleaded. "I know you're in there. I can hear your phone ringing," he added. He had been at the door for a while. So he called her but she still didn't pick up, hence he could hear said phone ringing. "I'm not leaving till I see you."

Finally, the door opened slowly. But he was instead met by a bespectacled girl. "I think you should go," she said.

"I think I should come in, Lizzie." He craned his neck so that he could see into the room. When he saw Eva, she was lying in a foetal position on her bed. He forced his way into the room, and as Lizzie began to protest, he shot her a deadly look that shut her up. "Can you excuse us…please?" Lizzie didn't move an inch.

The girl on the bed rose from her position and sat with her legs crossed. "It's ok," she told her best friend quietly.

When Lizzie left, Hoagie approached Eva slowly and sat down right next to her. "I'm sorry I snapped at you yesterday," he said quietly. He looked at her face. She had bags under her eyes, and her eyelids were painfully swollen. "I was afraid that you actually tried to kill yourself."

She laughed humorlessly. "I didn't mean it. Well, I sorta did. When I said I was gonna die, I did feel like I would. My heart was heavy…It still is."

"I'm sorry." Hoagie slowly reached for her hand, unsure of whether she would let him touch her. When she didn't withdraw from him, he brought her closer to him and hugged her tight. "I'm sorry," he reiterated.

She just shrugged her shoulders. She felt so empty. "I'll be ok, eventually. I don't know when that will be. But I'll have to be ok."

"That's the spirit," Hoagie said, then immediately wished he didn't. _Stupid, stupid, _he thought. "You've got to attend class, you know."

"I will. I only skipped out on this morning coz I needed to sleep off a hangover. I'm not missing any more classes," she said, a little more enthusiasm in her voice, though it was clearly forced. "I'll be alright."

"Please don't hate me," he pleaded, not caring how pathetic sounded at that time.

"I could never hate you Hoagie, even if I tried," she said with a watery smile. "Now you go out there and live your life. Shoo!" she said with a wave of the hands.

Hoagie gave a little laugh, and hugged her tight one more time. "Take care of yourself, eh?" he said.

She nodded vigorously, then asked cautiously, "Friends?"

"Friends." He gave her a small wave and left. He had never felt so relieved in his entire life as right then. He walked out the corridor into the sunlight with only one person on his mind.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The blond teenager was sitting at a table by himself in the diner, busy studying the menu as he debated what to have. He was rather hungry, so it really shouldn't have taken that long to determine what to eat. It didn't really matter, as long as there was something in his stomach. The waitress walked up to him just as he made his decision.

"Hello. What can I get you today?" she asked politely as she held her pen in hand ready to take the customer's order.

"A hero steak-roll, fries and a cold cola, please," he said slowly as he read out of the menu. Looking up he prepared to hand the waitress the menu, but his arm froze in mid air. He stared at her openly.

When she finished jotting down his order, she moved her gaze from the little writing pad to his face. "Coming right up," she said with a warm smile, but it wavered slightly as she recognized the young man before her. "Sandy?" she asked, slightly unsure of herself.

Now he smiled. "Yeah. Wow, you're still the prettiest girl I ever did see, Kuki." There was a moment of silence during which they both just looked at each other. "Um…" he continued, "…h-how are you doing? It's been a long time."

"Yeah, it's been a while. You…uh…you look…good," she said honestly. He really had become quite something in his teenage years. "Anyway, I'll just go place your order." She began to walk away toward the kitchen when he stopped her.

"Wait!" he said, "Can I get _you _something to eat?" Then he added before she could say anything, "You look pretty famished, no offence."

"No," she said rather reluctantly. "My shift ends any minute now, so I'll just be leaving."

Sandy wasn't ready to quit. He pressed, "Come on. Just a little bite, ok?" He looked up at her, his eyes pleading. "Look, why don't you place both our orders, then when your shift ends we can enjoy our lunch together."

Kuki only considered Sandy's hospitality because she really was hungry, and she was a bit on the broke side, so the free meal would be a very welcome deal. "Alright, I'll be with you in fifteen minutes, if that's ok."

"Sure. For you, I'd wait a lifetime."

She turned away from him and rolled her eyes so severely she might as well have had rollers behind her eyeballs.

xxx

Nigel and Pauline were hanging out at the school cafeteria. He was taking his time eating the ice-cream that she had bought him earlier. It was in celebration of his 'coming out'. According to Pauline, Nigel had 'come out' of his dark and broody phase. He did acknowledge that he was definitely feeling a lot happier ever since he had shared his baby-mama issues with Abby.

"You were right," he had said, "about sharing my _load _with someone. It feels good-ish now I've talked about it with someone; lesser burden."

"It's why I'm here," Pauline replied proudly. "To make the world a better place," she said as she spread her arms out wide before her.

He rubbed his stubble as he said, "Well, in that case, I'm glad you're here." He gave her a genuine smile and scooped up ice-cream in his little spoon to feed her. She had propped her elbows on the table, and was supporting her head in her hands as she accepted the ice-cream. "Mm, nice," she cooed. "Thanks."

As soon as her gratitude left her lips, they heard a loud, high-pitched drawl. "Nigie!" They turned in the direction of the voice just as its owner reached their table. Pauline watched in awe as a slightly chubby bespectacled redhead dropped herself in Nigel's lap, and, interlocking her arms behind his neck, went in for a hot deep kiss. Pauline was no fool. She immediately realized that that kiss was a sign of ownership. She could not help but smile to herself. Really, she was dying to laugh, but out of respect for Nigel she struggled to hold it in. A few times she had to bring her hand up to her mouth so as to stifle laughter that threatened to escape.

When Lizzie finally came up for air, she asked her boyfriend, "Whose this?" she was now looking at Pauline as she awaited the answer, a little smile playing on her lips. Nigel introduced them. The African gave a courteous nod, as Lizzie said it was nice to meet her. She then added, "I hope I wasn't interrupting you two. It's just I've missed my Nigie so much, I just had to come by and say hi."

"It's not a problem. I was just leaving actually." Pauline stood up before addressing Nigel with a smile on her face, "I'll see you later. I've gotta see my employer about…my employment." Then turning to Lizzie she said, "See ya. Pleasure meeting you."

After she was gone, Lizzie spoke. "You know what? I think that girl likes you. And she better think twice before trying to get between us, coz I don't play nice."

"Baby, you're seeing what's not actually there," Nigel reassured her as he gently tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, as she often did.

"Am I, really?" she asked. "Seems to me these people you brought back with you from Africa are just here to make our lives miserable. Abby has already poached Hoagie from right under your cousin's nose. Who's to say this one," Lizzie lazily pointed in the last known direction of Pauline as she said this, "isn't tempted to do the same with you, huh? Tell me that!"

Nigel sighed very audibly to express his exasperation, "Come with me," he said as he pushed her gently to her feet, and led her outside by the hand. "You, my girl, need some fresh air to get you thinking straight. Then using his free hand, he released her hair from the ribbon that held a ponytail and added jokingly, "That's better. I think you'd held it too tight. It must have been cutting off the circulation to your brain." He chuckled at that.

"You're mighty happy. Is it because of _her_?" she asked as she screwed her face in disgust, arms akimbo.

"Oh, brother."

xxx

Kuki and Abby were in their room watching some daytime movie on TV. It was Kuki's TV which she'd brought from home a couple of days ago. Abby could not have been happier. The TV was the most important piece of electronics ever made, as far as she was concerned. She then called Pauline on her phone to invite her over, but the latter could not make it since she was at work. Kuki on the other hand ought to have been on her way to class, but she kept on adding 'just one more minute' as she watched the movie.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it," Abby said as she bounced off her bed. "And you better get to class Kuks," she added seriously. Upon opening the door, she couldn't help but smile when she saw who their visitor was. "Hi," she said happily.

"Hey," Hoagie responded with a sexy lopsided smile. "So, I'm a single man. I believe you're a single gal," he said as he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.

"Mm, I _am_ single. You did your homework," she said with an attempt at looking serious. Sticking her hand out to him, she added, "You must be Hoagie." He accepted her hand, giving it a gentle handshake. She continued, "And I'm…"

"…beautiful," he completed, looking her in the eye. He drew her closer to him, holding her by the waist and added as he lightly licked his lips, "And I think it's about time," he run his finger along her hairline, then brushed his thumb across her lips, "Ken and Barbie here, met." He cupped her cheek and brought his lips to hers, as they locked in a deep, passionate kiss. It evoked so many emotions: desire and longing to mention but a few. Abby stroked the little hairs at the nape of his neck as she was lost in his kiss, while his hold on her waist became even more possessive. Hoagie could feel the frantic pace of her beating heart. It felt so right to have her in his arm; to kiss her. But alas, he had to withdraw himself from her addictive lips, for he needed to breathe if he was to have hope of kissing her again in future.

As they came up for air, Abby realized just how weak in the knees she felt. "Dear Lord Almighty," she said breathlessly, as her eyes fluttered open.

"Yes sister, testi-_fy_!" Hoagie said, waving his arms animatedly as he tried to imitate a preacher man. They both burst into fits of laughter at that.

Kuki, who had been sitting on her bed watching the couple, was grinning from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat. "Well," she spoke up, "if nothing else, at least you've got your sense of humour in common." That's when Hoagie realized there was someone else in the room. He and Abby were still laughing as he said, "Oh man, I didn't know you were here." Then addressing Abby, he chuckled as he said, "She heard my crappy pick up lines."

"Don't you worry about it," Kuki said as she got off her bed and picked up her books. "They might be crappy, but you got the girl, didn't you?" she said with a smile still plastered on her face. Walking out the door, she told Abby, "This is all that needed to happen for me to go to class on time. Now, was that too much to ask?"

After another half minute or so, their laughter slowly subsided. "So," Hoagie said, giving Abby a very flirtatious look, "can I come in?"

"Please!" she demanded as she pulled him into the room by the collar, kissing him again as he kicked the door shut.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A few days later Pauline was at the clothing store where she worked. She was busy putting clothes on hangers when someone behind her cleared his throat. As she turned around to face him, she was met by that annoyingly handsome lecturer of a man. She suddenly felt drained of her energy, and she did not bother to hide the fact that she was not particularly happy to see him. "Mr. Wyatt," she said flatly.

He snorted. "New kid, you work here now?" he asked in his usual cocky voice, arching his brow.

"How can I help you, Sir?" Pauline asked, totally ignoring his question.

He smiled down at her as he studied her face. "First of all, it's Kev. Outside the confines of school, it's Kev, not Mr. Wyatt." He screwed his mouth up a little before holding some pants up and saying, "I want to try these on. Where's the changing room?"

"Follow me," she replied, as she led him towards the back of the store. Pointing at the room, she said in a totally bored manner, "There you go."

He walked into the small space and drew the curtain. She had moved a few feet away to lean against a clothes rack and to give him his privacy. Store policy was that an employee must hang around a changing room if there's someone inside. Pauline couldn't understand why that was necessary. _I mean really, if someone 's gonna steal something, they'll steal, the alarm will go off, and we'll bust 'em_, she thought.

"What do you think?" Mr. Wyatt's deep voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned around, but she was not ready for what she saw. He was wearing a navy blue pair of perfectly fitting jeans. However, that was not what had stunned her. He had pulled his shirt up to mid torso, so that he could reveal the waist of the jeans. He probably didn't mean to flaunt his perfectly chiseled abs, or maybe he did. Either way, Pauline was speechless as she stared at his chocolate brown body. "It can't be that bad," he said, slightly hurt as he looked down at himself when she did not respond.

"No…I mean…" she gulped, "…the pants look great on you," she said as she tried to look everywhere but at him. He, for the first time, gave her a genuine smile as he nodded. He drew the curtain again and changed into a different pair of pants. The next time he drew open the curtain, she was ready for him. He looked at her expectantly. "Hmm, you'll need a smaller size," she said as she walked up to him, holding the cargo pants at the waist as she tried to gauge the right size. "Yep, one size smaller," she said as she turned, preparing to head to the rack to get him another pair of pants.

She had barely taken two steps before Mr. Wyatt grabbed her hand and pulled her into the changing room. "What the…" she said as he quickly drew the curtain and pinned her against the wall. All this was done in such a fluid motion that Pauline had barely realized what was going on before he had crushed his lips to hers. For a few moments, her eyes were wide open before she shut them as she reciprocated his kiss. When he felt her threads of resistance die out, he freed her arms of his grasp so that he could slowly run his hand up and down her side while the other held her head up to him. She wrapped one arm around his neck while laying her other hand on his chest. The kiss, Pauline had to admit, was wonderful. Her temperature began to rise, and then he slowly withdrew from the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. They remained quiet, save for their heavy breathing. She clung to his shirt as she caught her breath, while he laid a flat palm against the wall beside her heat-radiating body.

"This is so wrong," Pauline finally said. "It's wrong on so many levels." She gently pushed him away by the chest. "You don't even know my name," she added quietly.

Mr. Wyatt brought his hand to her face, and set it under her chin to raise her head. He looked at her intensely and said in an uncharacteristic gentle tone , "Pauline. Your name is Pauline."

He elicited a sigh from her before she walked out of the changing room, looking a bit disheveled. When he had changed back into his trousers, he came out carrying the ones he had tried on in his arms. "Um…so, how much are these?" he asked her as she stood near a rack looking at the ceiling.

"They're free," her voice quavered as she waved her hand, dismissing him. He let out a little laugh as he walked to the counter, deciding that he wanted the slightly larger pair of cargo pants after all.

xxx

Mrs. Lincoln and Jamie arrived at their newly rented furnished apartment late in the evening. The building was in a nice neighbourhood, which simply added to the high rent she had paid for the house. This was one of the few times she was truly glad to have had a trust fund. She was an independent woman, but in this situation, having the extra cash just sitting around in the bank worked in her favour. She would have preferred to go home, but the tenants renting her house, their house, had a notice to move out in another five months. She couldn't just kick them out.

Jamie dropped his bags in one of the rooms and then came for his mom's suitcase which he pulled into the master bedroom. He then went to the living room and turned on the TV. He dropped himself on the couch and hang his leg over the armrest as he flipped through the channels with the remote. Finally, he found Cartoon Network, thus quitting the channel surfing. "Mama, what are we gonna have for dinner?" he asked as he tried to repress a yawn.

"It will have to be take-out, dear, till I can go shopping tomorrow. Is Chinese ok?"

"Sure, Ma," he replied. He actually wanted pizza, but since she had suggested Chinese, he figured it's what she wanted. It was all he could do to make her happy. _It's not much, but at least she can eat what she wants_, he thought. Jamie just wanted to punch somebody real bad. He could still hear the sadness in his mom's voice no matter how hard she tried to hide it. He then flipped channels again till he found a movie with Julia Roberts in it. "Mama, come and sit. I think you'll like this."

She came wearily around the couch and sat, smiling at her son as she touched a soft hand to his face. "Thank you, baby," she said as she carefully kicked off her shoes. She had noticed how hard he had tried to make things better for her ever since the fight. He laid his head in her lap as he tried to get comfortable. She picked up the directory that was on the stool next to her as she looked for the contact of a Chinese restaurant. She then picked the phone off the receiver and dialed the number. As she waited for her call to be answered, she made a mental note to let Abby and Cree know that she was back in the States. She also needed to enroll Jamie in a school. She sighed. _Tomorrow; tomorrow is another day. I'll think about this tomorrow._

xxx

The following evening Kuki had practically dragged Abby and Pauline down to the coffee shop. She had insisted that they get there in good time to catch the performances of Hoagie's band. As they walked into the shop, Pauline gasped. "Whoa, this is a coffee shop? It's more like coffee mall," she said with a little laugh.

"It _is_ pretty big," Abby seconded. "I guess it's why they have decided to hire a band. They've got the space anyway."

"Yeah," Kuki said. "Plus the band is pretty popular with people around here. They only perform for about thirty minutes, but this place gets packed in the evenings coz of them." She spotted an empty table at the front of the shop. "There," she pointed, "Go sit there and I'll get us something to drink and snack on."

"Oh, you're buyin'? Yay," Abby said as she clapped happily.

Kuki snorted, "You wish. You're paying me back, both of you," she said as Pauline had begun to whistle in an attempt to remove herself from that conversation.

They group of three had been at the coffee shop for about fifteen minutes before the band was ready to begin their performance. Kuki had pointed out each member and what they play while they were setting up their equipment, connecting wires, doing microphone checks and whatnot. But by the time they were done, the shop was packed. There was a hum of voices and laughter as friends were catching up on various issues. The crowd was silenced when Yvonne on drums hit the cymbal a few times with her drumsticks.

The lights all round were dimmed except for those on the stage. Chad adjusted the height of the microphone stand before he spoke with a smile on his face. "Hey everybody. How y'all doing?" There was a chorus of "We're fine!" from the crowd. "Great, I see it's a full house," Chad responded. "As usual, The mOholos are glad you're here. We're nothing without you, so, thanks for coming." There were cheers and applause from the fans.

Once there was silence again, the band began to play. Chad, on electric guitar began the performance before being joined by Hoagie on acoustic. Yvonne began to sing Cold feet by Tracy Chapman, and was given vocal support by the others whenever necessary. "My God, they're good," Abby said as her two friends nodded in agreement. The band performed a number of other songs, and Abby noticed that they did not play their own songs, but rather renditions of other songs. Considering that they pulled crowds into the coffee shop every week was testament to their talent.

After several performances, Hoagie removed his mic from the stand as he spoke, "I know we always end the evening with one of your requests, but today we're gonna change things a little bit." He was looking a wee bit shy, Abby noticed. She smiled at him in encouragement, and he smiled back. He was walking around on stage as he continued, "We've just done your request, and now I wanna play _my_ request. I had to beg these guys to help me out," he said as he pointed his thumb backwards at his band. This got the crowd laughing. "And you know we always do renditions, but this time I wanna perform the song as Jason Mraz performs it live. It's…perfect as it is. He then looked straight at Abby as he added, "This is for you, babe."

He went back to his stool, put the mic back on the stand and picked up his guitar. He lowered the mic stand to his level, and adjusted the other one to the level of his guitar. He looked around at his band mates to assess their readiness. They all nodded, and Hoagie began strumming. He then sang in what Abby, from that day henceforth, was convinced was the most beautiful voice she had ever heard. His vocals were silky smooth:

_Well you done done me and you bet I felt it_

_I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted_

_I fell right through the cracks, and now I'm trying to get back_

_Before the cool done run out I'll be giving it my bestest_

_And nothing's gonna stop me but divine intervention_

_I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some_

_But I won't hesitate no more, no more_

_It cannot wait I'm yours_

(Chad joined in on electric, Nathan on the keyboard and Yvonne on the drums, while the crowd snapped its fingers in rhythm with the beat)

_Well open up your minds and see like me_

_Open up your plans and damn you're free_

_A look into your heart and you'll find_

(The band members harmonized their vocals with Hoagie as they sang the next line)

_**Love love love love **_

_Listen to the music of the moment_

_People dance and sing, we're just one big family_

_And it's our God forsaken right to be_

(Again, the band harmonized its vocals with the lead singer)

_**Love love love love loved**_

_**So**__**I won't hesitate no more, no more**_

_**It cannot wait I'm sure**_

_**There's no need to complicate **_

_**Our time is short**_

_**This is our fate**_

_**I'm yours**_

(Instruments were played at this point; no vocals in preparation for the bridge)

_Well I've been spending way too long_

_Checking my tongue in the mirror_

_And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer_

_But my breath fogged up the glass_

_So I drew a new face and laughed_

_I guess what I'll be saying is there ain't no better reason_

_To rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons_

_It's what we aim to do_

_Our name is our virtue_

(No instruments, just vocals in harmony)

_**But I won't hesistate no more, no more**_

_**It cannot wait, I'm sure **_

_**There's no need to complicate our time is short**_

_**This is our fate **_

_**I'm yours**_

(The instruments were back)

_Open up your mind and see like me_

_Open up your plans and damn you're free_

_A look into your heart and you'll find the sky is yours_

_So please don't, please don't, please don't _

_There's no need to complicate_

_Coz our time is short_

_And this, well this, well this is our fate_

The band members harmonized the final line of the song.

_**I'm yours**_

Hoagie ended the performance as the last member of the band on his instrument. No sooner had the stage gone quiet than the whole coffee shop erupted in cheers, whistles, and gave the band a standing ovation. Abby, who had been mouthing the words to the song quickly went up the stage and gave Hoagie the greatest hug she had ever given anyone before she gave him the sweetest kiss he had ever had in his life. The crowd wolf whistled, but the couple had none of those sounds as they were lost in their own world. When they finally came back to the land of the living, Hoagie introduced Abby to his band, and she gave them all warm hugs as she thanked them for helping her boyfriend out with the song. Meanwhile, Hoagie had gone to thank Kuki for getting Abby to arrive in time for the performance.

xxx

**Author's note**:

The chapter was longer than initially intended. My apologies, but thanks for working hard and going all the way to the end. I guess I got a little carried away with the song, but I felt I needed to write it all so I could explain how the performance was. Sorry. The bits in bold are where the band harmonized its vocals.

And of course, the song belongs to Jason Mraz – I'm just a fan. Aaand, sorry if I wrote my own random lyrics.

Also, I've just realized I've been in a mushy mood of late; lots of love going around, eh?


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note:**

**UnknownPen**, somehow I figured you'd like Yvonne. The mOholos was discovered by accident. I was trying to research on music and musical instruments, when I stumbled upon a web page that said someone Moholo was a South African musician (or something of the sort). I was like, wow, I like his surname. And thus, The mOholos were born. The spelling was an accident too. I pressed shift a little late when typing the word.

xxx

Chapter 11

Kuki and Sandy had spent about two lunch hours together. He had made a habit of showing up at Pasty's at lunch time with the hopes of finding Kuki on duty. On a cloudy Wednesday afternoon, he had insisted on walking her back to the campus after their meal. But since she had a bit of time on her hands, they took the longer route. They talked about their childhood days, and he blushed when she brought up the 'King Sandy' thing.

"Well, I can assure you I'm not here now to take you as my queen by force. No Siree," he said as he bobbed on the balls of his feet, his hands shoved in his pockets, "I'm gonna use old fashioned charm to reel _you_ in."

"Sandy, you're like two years younger than me. It should even be illegal for me to be walking around with you," Kuki said with a heartfelt laugh. "But seriously, why don't you look for someone your own age, or slightly younger. Mushi maybe?" she added hopefully.

"No, at the end of the day, you're the one for me," he said as he adjusted his glasses with his index finger.

"I am sorry, but I am very much in love with Wally. And that is not gonna change. No amount of charm will win me over, no offence," she said before adding, "Wallabee means the world to me." She hoped what she was saying was sinking into his skull and beyond.

He did not respond. She looked at him, wondering if she had hurt the poor boy too badly. His gaze was fixated at something or rather, someone further down the street, and his face had grown serious. He had not seen Wallabee in many years, but Sandy was almost a hundred percent sure that that was him down the street. _That gait is definitely Wally's, _he thought as he observed the situation occurring before them.

Kuki followed Sandy's gaze which led to a black sedan with tinted windows. It was parked at the entrance to an alley. In the alley stood a young blond fellow, his messy hair and side profile confirming he was Kuki's boyfriend. Another man, taller, leaner and definitely a few years older than Wally walked up to him. His skin was very pale, and he had jet black hair that was greased back. He wore what was clearly a very expensive suit.

Kuki's breath caught in her lungs when she saw what happened next. She would have never believed it if she did not see it with her own eyes. The strange man, his face now only a few inches away from Wally's, raised his hand and caressed her boyfriend's right cheek. He then held Wallabee's head firmly as he brought his mouth to his, planting butterfly kisses on them. The man then took a step back, looking at Wally before entering the black vehicle. By the time the car sped off, Kuki was nowhere in the vicinity, having ran back in the direction she had come from. All Sandy could do was watch her leave, his mind racing as he tried to grasp what he had just seen.

xxx

"What the fuck is going on?" Pauline asked herself as she stood at the other end of the alley, initially on her way to work. She felt a headache coming as she got stressed on behalf of Wally. _That was not normal_, she thought. When that man in the suit was kissing him, she could see that Wally was not into it at all. His body language was not consistent with the love he was receiving. _It's none of my business, but I've gotta find out what is going on._

xxx

Mr. Lincoln, in his different time zone, was lying in his bed, his fingers interlaced under his head. He stared at the ceiling for several minutes like he had done for the past few nights before he was finally too tired to stay awake. _Even tonight sleep won't come easy, _he thought wearily. He turned his head to the left, facing where his wife always lay faithfully beside him for twenty six years. Her spot was now empty, his only bedfellow being the memories and regrets of his life. He turned to lie on his side and pulled the covers up to his chin. He shut his eyes, willing sleep to take over his consciousness. But the guilt rang in his mind loud and clear, keeping sleep at bay for another two hours.

xxx

At the clothing store, business had been a little slow that afternoon. Pauline appreciated it as her mind kept going back to what she had seen. She had lots of theories, what with her overactive imagination. _But, it is possible that that guy is Wally's guy. Maybe he's just realized what he really wants…what's right for him._ But if that was true, why did she doubt it so much. She sighed as she massaged her temples with her finger tips. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the rotating motion of her fingers against her head.

"Ahem."

Pauline opened her eyes, and took a second to focus before she realized who was standing before her. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Please, just…just leave," she added pleadingly.

Her lecturer stood on the opposite side of the counter. He looked at her, and she felt his eyes see right through her. "You've been avoiding me," Mr. Wyatt said, voice low and deep.

For the past week and a half, she did not spare an extra second in her classroom after the students were dismissed. She had noticed how he had been discreetly looking at her with hopes that she would hang back a little so that the other students could leave, thereby giving them a chance to talk. But he had had no such luck. So he took matters into his own hands, and there he was, in her store, where she could not run away. "Sir," she began before he interjected rather rudely.

"Kev. I told you its Kev," he said strongly.

"Kev," she said slowly, with obvious displeasure, "I am your student. You are my teacher. We cannot do what we did. It should **never** have happened. I take partial responsibility, and…"

Mr. Wyatt interrupted her again. "Are you honestly not intrigued by me as I am by you?" he asked, his dark brown eyes desperately searching hers. She could have sworn she heard a hint of fear in his voice. _Fear of what, rejection?_

Of course she was intrigued. He had behaved like an ass all that time, but that day when they kissed, she had seen something in his eyes. They were different from what he always tried to portray. It wasn't just lust that she saw, there was something else. _Was it sorrow? A plea of sorts, maybe?_ She wasn't sure, but she was dying to find out. And it had nothing to do with the fact that she was a psych major. She didn't want him as a project; she really did want to _know_ him. The _him _behind the façade.

"I am…fascinated by you, to say the least. But we find ourselves in a situation that is not conducive to developing this, uh…fascination," she finally said.

He moved closer to the counter and placed his palms flat on it after throwing his jacket across it. He took a deep breath and screwed his mouth in thought before he spoke. "Go on a date with me."

Pauline rolled her eyes in frustration. "Did you not hear what I just said?" she asked. "You could get fired if the Dean found out. I'd probably be expelled! My case being more likely to occur than yours."

Kev rose his index finger in the air and shook it gently as he looked for the right words to say. "Just…one date. If after that you're still not convinced to give us a chance, then so be it," he said with a shrug. As she remained silent, he tilted his head and pleaded, "Please?"

_This, right here, is the real Mr. Wyatt,_ she thought, _the one who's not hiding behind his supposed cocky arrogance._ "Ok. We'll go for an evening movie sometime?"

"I'd like that," he replied as he flashed his pearly whites.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Abby was at her mom's new apartment. She was really surprised when her mama had called to tell her she was around. She tried to find out why, but her mom insisted that she would tell her in person. Cree had arrived a few minutes after her younger sibling. Abby hadn't realized how much she had missed her sister until she saw her. It had been a good two years since they had last seen each other. They had lunch together with their mom and brother as they caught up. After they had done the dishes, Mrs. Lincoln called the girls to her bedroom. "Please shut the door," she said quietly. Cree did as she was told before taking a seat on the king size bed.

Mrs. Lincoln looked at her daughters for a while, not saying anything. She didn't know how to start, or where to start. The girls looked at her expectantly, but they already knew whatever their mother was planning to tell them was not going to be good news. Their mom looked down at her folded hands for a few moments, and when she looked up again, there were tears swimming in her eyes. She finally spoke. "I'm here because…your father and I had a fight…" she sighed, "…and really, I don't think there is a way we can get past this." She was quiet for an instant before she continued, "He had an affair. I can't…" she broke off, her tears now flowing freely.

Cree was quick to get to her mother's side to hug her. Abby was rooted to the spot where she stood, as she listened to her mother's heartbreaking sobs. She could hardly believe what she had heard. Her breathing gradually became labored as hot tears poured out of her tear ducts. She walked over to her mother and sister, where they hugged each other as they cried together, a heavy blanket of sorrow and betrayal overpowering them. "Are you sure about this?" Abby finally asked. Cree shot her a nasty look, but their mother nodded slowly in response.

"It's not the first time," Mrs. Lincoln said quietly.

Abby felt as though her heart had just been squeezed upon hearing that. She held her mother's hand in both of hers, and kissed it before saying, "I am sorry, Mama." She sniffed before reiterating, "I am so sorry."

xxx

Wally stomped into his room. Nigel looked up at him, furrowing his brow as the door banged before asking, "Bad day?" to which he received no answer. He watched as the blond removed his ringing phone from his pocket. Wally looked at the caller ID before throwing his phone viciously at the wall, where it disintegrated into many little pieces. He clenched his fists as he paced around the room with a murderous look on his face before he sat down on his bed and covered his face with his hands.

Nigel was alarmed. He knew his friend had a temper, and had been an unfortunate witness on occasion to his fits of anger, but he had never seen Wally like this before. Honestly, it scared him. He switched off the TV, but Wally growled at him, telling him to switch it back on. He wasn't even watching it, Nigel observed, but it seemed he clearly wanted some noise of some sort as he brooded.

Wallabee had never been so helpless in his life. His dignity had been taken from him in that alley. "FUCCCK!" he yelled suddenly, causing Nigel to jump. _How the hell could Joey have been so stupid? How the hell do you get involved with a guy that looks like that son-of-a-bitch? _Wally had had to sell his motorbike so that he could come up with the cash to pay off the debt. He was sure it would be over once he handed over the money.

He and Joey had arrived at the alley before the drugs guys. Then the black sedan arrived, and a bodyguard had come out for the cash. Joey handed it over to him. Instead of just taking it and driving away, forgetting about the transaction, another guy who was clearly the boss exited the vehicle. He was tall with slick dark hair and the meanest, coldest grey eyes Wally had ever seen. Greg looked at Joey and smiled. "Good boy," he said. "Now get outta here." His voice was almost gentle, but his face showed a different story. As the brothers turned to leave, Greg said, "Uh uh uh…the kid goes, but you," he pointed at Wally, "you stay."

"Why?" Wally asked. "We gave you what you wanted. Just leave us alone, please."

Greg looked at him up and down, and then he inclined his head in the direction of the bodyguard standing behind him. The bodyguard dressed in black, held open his jacket to reveal a gun strapped to his waist. Immediately Wally knew he was in trouble. "Joey, go home." But his brother remained where he was, attempting brevity. "NOW!" Wally yelled, not bothering to look at him. He heard the frantic footsteps of his retreating brother as he left the scene.

With a wave of the hand, Greg directed the bodyguard to enter the vehicle. He went and sat in the front passenger's seat. Once they were alone, the dark haired man slowly approached Wally as he casually let him know that his bodyguard was not the only one carrying a piece. "If you move, I will leave your carcass here for the dogs. Do you understand?" Wally gave a slight nod. That is when Greg kissed him, and nibbled his ear. It took everything he had not to sock that guy right there and then. He knew he had to maintain his cool, because those guys were some serious shit. He knew Greg was not threatening him, rather he was promising him death if he twitched even a muscle.

Before leaving, the young drug lord gave Wallabee a business card. "Take it!" he ordered. "Be there two weeks from today. And don't think about going to the cops with this. I know where your family lives. 2nd Park Avenue, right?" he asked as he arched his brow. Wally did not respond. What could he say? That bastard really did know where his family lived. "Your mother's a beautiful woman. It's no wonder she has such an attractive son," Greg said with a slow lick of the lips. "If you squeal, I'm sure my boys can give your mom a good time. And anyone you speak to about this may not be assured a…_simple_ death." He smiled and got into the car. Wally just watched as they drove away.

xxx

Abby got back to campus after the sun had set. She had had dinner with her family before going back to school. She walked wearily into her room to find Kuki lying on her bed, her eyelids swollen and red rimmed. Abby was feeling to lethargic to even say anything. She just walked over to Kuki and lay down beside her. The Asian girl looked at her, and they smiled at each other for a brief second as they shared a sad connection. Finally Abby said, "I'm not even gonna ask," to which Kuki responded with a half-snort half-sob, "Me neither."

They embraced the silence that each afforded the other. After about half an hour, Kuki broke the silence with a question. "D'you wanna get drunk with me?"

"Isn't that the coward's way out?"

"Just this once, I'd like to be a coward."

"Ok," Abby replied quietly.

xxx

The two girls sat together at the bar. They were going to try and drag out their binging as long as possible before losing their senses. They ordered four Smirnoff Black Ice's to begin with, two for each of them. As the bartender removed the tops off their bottles, Abby dialed a number.

"Hey baby, is everything ok?" Hoagie asked when he answered. He could hear a lot of noise in the background.

"Hey," Abby responded, clearly sounding down in the dumps. "What you up to tonight?"

"Nothing, I'm just chillin', watching TV," he said as he lay on the couch. "What's wrong, babe?" His voice was laced with concern.

"I…can't talk about it right now. If I do, I'll cry. And if I start, I'm not sure I'll be able to stop. If you don't mind, could you pick Kuki and I up from the pub at the corner of Prodman building?"

"Sure."

"In about an hour's time?"

"Ok, babe." He hung up and got dressed. Hoagie was out the door in five minutes.

xxx

Hoagie arrived at the pub fifteen minutes later. He spotted the girls at the bar. He went to buy a drink at the opposite end of the counter, away from them and then went to sit at a table in a corner. The place was packed, he noticed. He figured he could come early and watch the girls from a distance to make sure everything was ok before it was time to take them home. He slowly drank his beer as he waited for the seconds to tick by.

Seated a few bar stools from the girls was a biracial man in his mid twenties. His very light brown skin could easily fool anyone in the dimly lit pub into thinking he was Caucasian, unless they noticed his short curly hair. His flat cap partially covered his face in a shadow as he fixed his small eyes on the girls, and wondered why they looked so sad, especially his sister. Well, the Japanese girl wasn't really his sister, but she was his first cousin. His mother had always wanted him to think of Kuki and Mushi as his sisters, because they were the only cousins he had. She wanted to help foster a strong relationship among them. Kensei Sanban then shifted his gaze to Abby. He remembered her as a child, and he appreciated how she had blossomed. He ordered another drink as he let his mind wander from the girls.

He recalled his meeting with Greg Richard that afternoon. They had business to discuss, and they first made small talk in Greg's vehicle as they were chauffeured to an alley off Crystal Street. Apparently Greg had some business to discuss with another party. Kensei recalled the flash of fear reflected in the two blonds' faces as Greg interacted with them. He felt particularly sorry for the older boy when Greg chose him, expecting an encounter with him in two weeks.

The reason Greg would have new boys fairly frequently was because he was into the hard and rough, usually leaving the boys in either one of two situations: dead or half-dead. But Kensei wanted out of this kind of business. He had been steadily decreasing the number of times he would go out looking for some kid with no future. Offering them a life in Greg's clutches was synonymous with offering them an even lesser future. _I'm becoming soft, _he thought as he took another swig of his rum.

xxx

Kuki had passed out, her upper body sprawled on the counter. Abby was still going, not going strong, but still going. She was now on her fifth shot, and smiling to herself.

Hoagie looked at his watch, then rose and headed for the bar. "Abby," he called gently. She looked up at him, but did not recognize him immediately. "Who are you?" she slurred.

"It's Hoagie," he said with slight worry.

"Hoagie…You wear glasses?" she asked with surprise.

"Yeah, I don't see very well at night," he replied patiently.

"Oh," she studied him with glazy eyes before stammering, "You're so…so knife in them."

"What?" he asked, looking puzzled. "I'm what?"

"Knife," she repeated, "You know, hot."

"Oh," he said with a chuckle. "Well, thank you. Now wait right here, ok?" he said. She nodded, smiling sweetly up at him. He picked Kuki up, and carried her to his car. While Abby waited for her boyfriend to come back, Kensei gulped the last of his rum and stood up. As he passed by Abby on his way out, he kissed the top of her head, and muttered that she was beautiful. He passed Hoagie at the entrance when the latter was on his way back for Abby, who insisted she could walk just fine. He had to support her anyway if there was any hope getting to the car before sun-up.

Hoagie took them back to his place, and carried the girls one by one up the stairs to his room. He laid them on his bed side by side, and helped them out of their shoes before covering them with the blanket. He then took an extra blanket from his cupboard and switched off the lights. He walked down the stairs to the living room. He removed his t-shirt and pants, discarding them on the floor. He looked at the clock before switching off the lights. It was 1:37 a.m. He dropped himself on the couch and covered himself with the blanket. _Some people will be real tired in the morning, _he thought as he fell into a deep sleep.

xxx

**Author's note:**

I took the liberty of assuming that pubs restrict access to people under the age of 18, not 21. At least, I think it's 21 in the US.

You're so knife – you're so fine. But I'm sure you got it.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Early the next morning Nigel and Lizzie met at the school cafeteria for breakfast. They sat together at a small circular table for two. As they ate, there was a considerable silence between them. Lizzie had been studying her boyfriend's face. His mind was clearly preoccupied.

"What's wrong, Nigie?" she asked.

He sipped his coffee before responding with a sigh, "Something's up with Wally. I don't know what it is, but it's definitely serious."

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"He's not saying a word." Nigel scratched his scalp before leaning against the backrest and locking his fingers behind his head. "I'm worried about him, Liz. I've never seen him like this."

"Maybe it's girlfriend trouble," she said as she wiped her mouth with a serviette. Seeing that he didn't look convinced, she added, "Don't stress yourself about it, sweetie. It's probably nothing."

Nigel laughed humorlessly before saying, "If it was nothing, I wouldn't be worried. This is huge, whatever it is."

"Well, he's a grown ass man!" she said indignantly. "If he wants to mope around, let him be."

"How can you say that?" he asked, totally shocked. His hazel eyes bore into her as he continued, "He's my best friend. If he's got a problem, I've got to do what I can to help– "

She cut him off. "If he really is your friend, he wouldn't keep you in the dark. That way he wouldn't cover everyone with this dark cloud of his."

"What the hell?" Nigel asked angrily. "That doesn't even make sense. What the hell did my friends ever do to you, anyway?"

"What?" Lizzie said as she threw her used serviette on the plate. "Who said they did anything–"

He interjected. "If they didn't do anything, then why are you always so awkward with them? You don't even try being friends with them," he said with a frustrated wave of the arms. "And now when my boy has issues, you're bloody **heartless**!"

"How _dare_ you!" Lizzie said venomously as she rose to her feet. "Go to hell!" she added as she stormed off, her ponytail bouncing from side to side.

Nigel watched her go as he fumed. He noticed the few students in the hall who were seated closest to his table were all looking at him, some doing so very openly. He ground his teeth in frustration as he put on the aviators that he had been carrying in his breast pocket.

xxx

Wally had been knocking on Kuki's door for two minutes. _Dammit, where is she? I need her, _he thought with aggravation. He knocked again and then listened intently for any sign of movement. Nothing. He looked at his watch; it was only 8:05 a.m. At that moment he seriously wished he hadn't destroyed his phone. He walked out of the building, thinking that he would have to pass by again later.

xxx

The inviting aroma of scrambled eggs roused Kuki from her sleep. She opened her eyes slowly. Beside her lay someone with long, beautiful dark hair that was spread on her pillow. Kuki blinked several times as she sat up slowly to look around the room. It was unfamiliar to her. She then looked down at the person sleeping beside her before finally realizing that it was Abby. She was about to wake her, but then thought against it. She rose from the bed quietly and walked gingerly to the door. As she walked out the door she brought her hand to her face as she partially covered her eyes and touched her fingers to her forehead. She had a killer headache. She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where she found Hoagie having his breakfast.

"Good morning, sunshine," he said with a hearty laugh. "You look like crap."

Kuki could only manage a grunt. She shuffled over to him and took a sip of his juice. She eventually downed all his juice. She had been really parched. She then poured herself a glass of water which she finished in record time. Feeling a little better, she finally spoke. "Hey."

"Hey," Hoagie replied. "Sleep well?"

"So – so," she replied with a yawn. "What time is it?"

Spying the clock in the living room, he replied, "10:30."

"Oh shit, I should be at work!" Then she thought for a minute before saying, "No wait, today is…what day is it?"

"Thursday."

"Oh, thank God!" Kuki breathed out audibly in relief. "It's my day off." She sniffed herself. "Eeew, I reek. I need to bathe."

"Upstairs, second door on the right. There are extra towels in the cupboard, and extra toothbrushes in the cabinet. But first," he said as he jumped to his feet to pour her some cereal, "have some breakfast."

xxx

While Kuki was in the shower, Hoagie had gone up to his room with a glass of water and a bowl of cereal. He put them on his dresser and then climbed onto the bed. He lay down and propped his head up with his left hand, while gently stroked Abby's hair with his right. She had been lying on her tummy, her mouth slightly open and her right arm hanging over the side of the bed.

"Abby? Abby?" he called quietly in a sing-song voice as he gently shook her by the shoulder. He was at it for half a minute before she finally moaned. She did not wake up though. Hoagie couldn't help but chuckle. _If there's one thing this girl can do, it's sleep._ "Abby…" he called again a little louder. This time her eyes opened, albeit very slowly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see someone was looking down at her. She turned her body around slowly and lay on her back. Looking up at Hoagie, she smiled. "Hi."

"Hi." He smiled back as he planted a kiss on her forehead and then caressed the side of her face.

"Thanks for picking us up last night," she said, her voice hoarse.

"Anytime, baby. I always got your back." He got off the bed to go and get the water and cereal. Handing her the glass as she sat up, Abby gulped down the refreshing liquid, and did not dare to stop until it was empty. Next, she gratefully reached for the cereal. When the bowl, too, was empty she sighed deeply. "Where's Kuki?"

Immediately she asked that question, they heard the bathroom door unlock. A few seconds later, Kuki walked into the bedroom wrapped in a towel, her wet hair clinging to her face and back. "Morning, Abs," she said sweetly. "Thanks for drinking with me," she said with a little laugh.

"Of course," Abby replied. "Us girls gotta stick together." She patted the space on the mattress in front of her, and Kuki sat. "So, you first or me?" she asked. Hoagie sat up straighter as he moved closer to his girlfriend, shifting his gaze between the two girls. Kuki pointed at Abby, indicating that she should go first.

Abby sighed and then said, "Well, my mom and Jamie are here. My folks had a fight, coz my dad had an affair." Hoagie's eyebrows rose in shock. He looked at his girlfriend and instantly saw the anguish in her eyes. What he possibly say? He just kissed her temple and held her hand.

Kuki rubbed Abby's crossed leg, her lips forming a very thin line on her face. The look in her eyes showed how sorry she was to hear that. Then she spoke flatly, "Wally is cheating on me." Her two friends simultaneously asked, "WHAT?" the expressions of shock on their faces reiterating how she initially felt. Now she was just numb. Numb yet angry.

"Are you sure?" Hoagie asked, perplexed.

She nodded before continuing, "I saw it with my own eyes. He was kissing some guy in an alley not too far from Pasty's." She was quiet for a moment. "You know, he's been a bit weird of late. Kind of distant, like he's got something on his mind. I just never imagined that this was it, that he could be cheating on me." She brought her hands to her face as she felt fresh tears well in her eyes. Abby moved forward and hugged Kuki, rubbing her back slowly. The dainty Asian rested her head on her friend's shoulder, while Hoagie just shook his head slowly in shock as he crossed his arms. His eyes roamed randomly about the room as he wondered just what was going on with Wally. _He'd better have a good explanation._

Kuki pulled away from Abby with a sad smile. "You stink."

xxx

Later that afternoon, Wally was at Kuki's door again, knocking incessantly. Abby opened the door, and he was relieved to see his girlfriend seated on her bed. He gave her the best smile he could muster, but his face scarcely looked any different from before. However, as soon as Kuki laid her eyes on him, she said slowly and deliberately, "Go. Away. Wally." He looked at her, his brow furrowed. He then looked at Abby, as if to ask 'What's going on?' He returned his gaze to Kuki.

"Babe, I don't know what's wrong, but can we talk about?" Then he added in a quiet voice, feeling a little self conscious with Abby being there, "I really need you right now." Kuki's dark orbs were cold as ice as she looked him in the eye and told him she didn't want to see him. Surprise, shock, worry, despair - all were reflected on Wally's face as Abby held him by the arm and led him out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

"What the crud did I do?" he asked Abby as they walked down the corridor.

"For starters, you've been distant with her," she replied as she studied his face.

"I've just had a lot on my plate –"

She cut him off. "And you cheated on her." Her face was now stern.

Wallabee turned to her, an incredulous look on his face before realization hit him. Abby noticed the change in expression. "Seriously Wally, seriously? Why?"

"It's not what she thinks happened…I didn't cheat on her. I'd never cheat her," he said with an utterly defeated look on his face. _Shit, this is bad, _he thought. "I have to talk to her," he said, turning around. Abby stopped him, roughly turning him around again.

"She will not listen to you right now." They were now walking in the school's compound along the path leading to the cafeteria. She looked up at him beseechingly. "What's going on, Wally?"

He sighed and ran his hand roughly through his hair. "I can't tell you. But I _swear, _I am not cheating on Kuki," he said as he shook his head.

She looked at him hard and long in the face. "I believe you," she said eventually. "But you're gonna have to come clean with Kuki if you expect her to believe you."

Just then Pauline walked up to them from up ahead. "Wally, I need to talk to you." She then smiled at Abby. "Hey." He friend reciprocated the greeting.

"Can we talk later? I'm kinda in the middle of something," he said as he inclined his head toward Abby.

"It's important," she stressed.

"It's ok. I'll see you later," Abby said as she walked back to her room.

Wally shoved his hands in his pockets. "What's up?"

"I saw you yesterday with that guy."

He rolled his eyes. _Can't I get a break? _His green eyes quickly turned murderous as he eyed Pauline suspiciously. "Wait a minute. You're the one who told Kuki?" he asked as his voice rose a by quite a few decibels. "You fucking told her?"

"Wha…?"She was confused. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about. I've not seen either of you since yesterday." They stared at each other for a few moments until Wally calmed down. "Listen, I saw you, and I'm pretty sure you and that guy are not an item. What the hell is going on?"

He growled. "I wish everybody would stop asking me that." He looked at her. "I know you're trying to help. But getting your nose into this is not helping."

"Fine," she said curtly. "But you need to talk to someone about it. Particularly Kuki. From what I gather she thinks you're cheating on her, but I'm convinced there's more to this. Either way, talk to her. She may be sweet, but if there's one thing I'm sure of, there are some things Kuki will not tolerate." She walked off, leaving him to wonder what he ever did wrong to deserve this.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Pauline, Nigel, Hoagie and Abby were at Pasty's having a meal in the evening. They had timed their arrival to coincide with Kuki's end of shift. She had become a bit withdrawn ever since the whole 'Wally and guy' saga. So the group had decided to 'force' Kuki to hang out with them, hoping that they could at least make her smile again even if just for a few minutes.

They had had better luck with Wally, somehow. They had at least hang out with him, even though it was terribly obvious that he did not want to be with them. He would hardly string a few words together to form a sentence. His face would light up slightly whenever he saw Kuki heading in their direction. However, the latter would turn around the minute she saw him in the group. So this time the strategically timed group meal was planned without Wally in the picture.

Kuki joined the group shortly after they arrived. She really did seem to be having a bit of a good time with the group. She laughed at random jokes made, and contributed to whatever they were discussing. Finally, Nigel asked her, "Won't you please just talk to Wally? He's miserable…and pissed…and–"

"If this is what we're gonna talk about," she interrupted, "then I'm leaving," she said seriously as she stood up, causing the chair to drag along the floor rather noisily.

"Ok, ok. I'm sorry," he said, hands in the air in surrender.

Kuki took her seat again slowly, her face still showing irritation. "Please don't push this," she said quietly. "I'm dealing with it as best as I can." Her friends nodded solemnly, before Pauline changed the subject.

"Um…so I've got a date tomorrow night."

Eyebrows rose all around the table. "With who? Whom?" Abby asked, suddenly very excited.

"I… uh, can't say just yet," she replied sheepishly, avoiding eye contact with everyone at the table.

"Oh, come on," Abby prodded. "It's just us. Besides, you should always let someone know where you're going when it's with a new date. You know, for security purposes and stuff."

Pauline bit her lower lip as she thought for a moment. "We'll be going to the movies." Abby gave her the look that said 'don't waste my time and just tell me already'. The Kenyan covered her face in her hands as she blushed, peeking through the spaces in her fingers as she said, "Don't judge me ok?" The group maintained silence as they waited for the big revelation. "It's Mr. Wyatt."

"WHAT?" Nigel stared unbelievably at her. Abby on the other hand froze in her seat, wide-eyed. Hoagie just twisted his mouth and inflated a cheek before asking who Mr. Wyatt was. Kuki was indifferent.

"Um…how exactly did this come about?" Abby asked, still very surprised. Pauline then went ahead to explain what had transpired at the clothing store when he'd gone shopping, how she had avoided him and finally how he asked her to go on a date with him. Abby then smiled a very naughty smile as she looked at her friend. "I see," she said at last.

"No, you don't see," Nigel said irritably. "He's a lecturer for goodness sake. Do you understand how bad this would be in the eyes of the administration?"

"I know," Pauline said. "It will only be this once." She dared not look at him as she said this.

Abby tapped her fingers on the table as she looked at her friend's face. While the others began to chat about other things, she quietly asked her friend, "Do you like him?" Pauline gave her a knowing look and then shrugged.

xxx

Wally was due to meet Greg at his club in seven days. He had still not managed to get Kuki to talk to him let alone be in his presence. It seemed that at that particular point in his life he had a very magnetic effect on Kuki; unfortunately, he was repulsive. He was repulsive, and he was getting sick of it. He walked down the corridor determinedly, stopping at door 121. He was pissed, he was tired, and he had a date with a son-of-a-bitch. Terrible combination, that. He banged furiously on the door.

Kuki was freaked out by the loud, impatient banging. "Who is it?" she asked timidly.

"It's me. Open up," the voice demanded.

The expression on her face suddenly became stony. "I don't wanna see you –"

"Open the damn door," Wally yelled back. "Open up before I break it down."

He sounded serious, Kuki mused. She walked up to the door and opened slowly, peeping at him through a tiny space. "What?"

He scoffed. "We're talking inside." He forced his way through the door as she quickly took a few steps back to avoid a collision with the door. They stood in the centre of the room, shooting daggers at each other. Wally raised his arms questioningly, "You seriously couldn't just ask me about it? Confront me?" His voice was accusatory.

"There was nothing to discuss. You can't exactly fail to see two people kissing," she replied coldly as she crossed her arms. "You'd have probably denied it anyway."

His face registered disbelief. He sighed then stared at the ceiling for a few moments as he bit his lip. When he returned his gaze to her, she saw a man who was hurting. "I can't believe you. If I wanted to be with someone else, I would have ended things. I would never cheat on you and you know it." He laughed humorlessly. "At least I thought you knew."

"Don't you make me the villain here," Kuki said angrily. "_You _were the one kissing somebody. _You_ were the one who wasn't man enough to just tell me there was someone else in the picture. I mean, the whole week you were acting strange. You didn't say a damn thing! I gave you time –"

"He's a bloody drug dealer!" Wally shouted back.

Kuki stared at him for a moment. "What?" she asked quietly. "So you're doing drugs now. He's you're druggie boyfriend?"

Wally growled furiously. "He's not my fucking boyfriend. I fucking love you but right now you're making me wonder why!" Those words cut Kuki real deep. "Joey was doing drugs. He needed five hundred bucks to get these guys to back off. I didn't have that kinda money. So I was stressin', it's why I was weird that whole week. I sold my bike. We paid them off then…" he looked ashamed as he continued, "…then he…he kissed me." He was surprised when his sight grew blurry. Tears flooded his eyes, and he wiped them away roughly as they fell.

Kuki swallowed hard. He was telling the truth. She could see it; she could hear it. Her heart bled as she thought of how bitchy she had been. She raised her hand to his cheek, and he turned his face away. She quickly withdrew her hand before slowly covering the two feet between them. He did not look at her. She hesitantly took his hands in hers. "Wally," she said pleadingly, "Wally…I'm sorry."

Still looking at the wall, he lifted her hands to his face, holding them there before kissing them and slowly turning his gaze to her sorrowful face. "How could you think I'd ever do something to hurt you? Don't you trust me?" he asked, his voice broken.

"I was mad…I did trust you, but I was mad," she said as she wept, "And I felt betrayed. I saw it with my eyes…I saw it."

Wally sort of understood where she was coming from. "You should have given me a chance to explain," he said quietly. "_He_ kissed _me, _not the other way around."

"Why did you let him?"

"He had a gun. And he was gonna kill me dead if I didn't let him."

Kuki embraced him, and he hugged her back, holding her head to his chest. They both felt the tension between them begin to disappear through that little action. "I am so so sorry. But everything's ok now, right?" she asked with a sniff as she pulled away to look at him. "The debt is paid and that's that?"

Wally deliberated over his next course of action. He held her hand and finally said, "Promise me that you won't repeat a word of this. Promise me!" She nodded, and he continued. "He wants me to meet him next Wednesday. If I don't, he's coming after my family. He could probably come after you too."

"But–"

"I can't go the police. Someone like him must have contact persons in the squad. It would be no good."

Kuki was looking up at him worriedly. "What does he want from you?" He didn't reply, for she already knew. She hugged him tight. "Oh Wally," she cried.

"Just hold me," he said quietly. "And tell me it'll be ok." She said no such thing. How could she guarantee that when they were talking about a drug dealer? He must use the stuff himself. He can't possibly be the most stable of people. She instead stood on tiptoe and brought her lips to his.

xxx

Abby walked into her room later that evening after having been invited to dinner at Hoagie's. His mom had made roast potatoes and grilled chicken. She was still licking her lips as she turned on the lights, seeing to figures asleep on Kuki's bed. The petite girl cuddled comfortably into Wally, his arm draped over her.

"It's about damn time."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Pauline and Kev walked out of the cinema hall into the cool night. There were a number of people shuffling into the building for the next feature presentation. The two went down the block to a fast food restaurant for their dinner. As they waited for their order to arrive, they discussed the movie.

"Well, I don't think it was as funny as the critic wrote in the paper," Kev said with a shrug in refute to his date's previous comment.

"What?" she asked. "That movie was too funny. I mean, think of when Brandon jumped through the window when he thought his ex would bust him," she said with laughter in her eyes.

Kev crossed his arms and rested them on the table. He wore a grey turtleneck and pulled the sleeves up to the middle of his forearms. They wrapped his well toned upper arms like a glove, and Pauline could easily see even the slightest movement of his biceps. He spoke, "Ok, I'll admit that bit was pretty funny." A waiter brought them their meals. As he returned to the kitchen, Kev continued, "I think if I'd have watched that movie on my own or with someone else, I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much."

Pauline just looked at him, and then diverted her gaze to her pasta with crab cakes. He, on the other hand, continued to look at her a little longer before he dug in to his chicken fried rice. _There was a compliment there, _she thought. But she really didn't want to think about it because she could feel herself growing more and more attracted to him, and really, it would be pointless.

After taking his first bite, Kev asked, "Don't you want to know why I wouldn't have enjoyed the movie with anyone else?"

"Coz I'm great company, obviously," she said in mock pride and a little laugh.

He pointed at her couple of times before he replied, "That's why. Because of the way you laugh. It's…so contagious." He looked down at his food, obviously shy as he continued, "It's like music to my ears."

Pauline shook her head as she said, "You amaze me. You really are nothing like you pretend to be in class."

"I don't pretend," he said seriously. "Who you see in class is just one side of me. This, right here, is the other."

They ate the rest of their meal in relative silence. When they were done a waitress came to clear their table. "Would you like some dessert?" Kev asked Pauline.

"Nah, I wouldn't be able to finish it."

"So you can share mine then? What you can't eat, I'll finish." She couldn't deny his suggestion what with the cute look he'd given her. A nod from her got him sending the waitress for a vanilla sundae with strawberry ripple. "Two spoons, please," he added.

When the dessert arrived it had one spoon only. "Don't worry about it," Pauline said as he was about to protest. She gestured to spoon feed him the first scoop, and he studied her face carefully before accepting it, giving her a very roguish smile.

As they continued to enjoy their dessert, Kev asked, "Have you had a good time tonight?" He tried to seem calm and collected, but Pauline could tell there was a lot riding on her answer.

"Against my better judgment, I'm gonna have to say, yeah, I've had a great evening."

He bit his lower lip, but he could not suppress a smile. "I'm glad." Then looking down at the dessert glass and fiddling with it, he said in a quiet voice, "I think you're very beautiful."

His date had been looking at him while he had said those words. "Kev," she called gently. As he raised his gaze to her face, she looked into his eyes. "Say that again."

He gulped hard. Luckily his turtleneck hid what would have been a very obvious movement of his Adam's apple. He felt heat rise up his neck into his cheeks. His eyes were on her as he repeated, "I think you're very beautiful."

She smiled. "Thank you," she said, blushing in equal measure.

"Will you go on another date with me?"

Pauline did not even hesitate before she answered. "No."

"Why, don't you like me?"

She ignored his question. "Why do you even want to try? I'm…I'm just kid to you."

His eyes were serious but his tone was warm. "I want to try because I like you. Yes, you're a few years younger than me, but that doesn't make you a kid. You're smart, you're mature.

'See, the advantage about marking all your papers is I get to see how each of my students reasons. The assignment about the court case is a great example. So many students got it right; made a case for the defendant. But your reasoning behind your defense was one of a kind. I love the way your mind works.

'I'd just like to get to know you better, if you'd let me," he said sincerely.

Pauline sighed. She very slowly slid her hand across the table, inching her hand to his. Their fingers touched ever so slightly, and she said sadly, "I like you very much. But this just can't be. I should never have accepted to go on a date with you."

He now laid his hand on hers, covering it completely. "If I wasn't your teacher, would you go out with me again?" She nodded in reply. "Then I'll render my resignation first thing in the morning."

xxx

Early on Saturday morning, Kensei sat with his mother in the dining room. Her younger brother had gone down to the golf course, while her sister in law had gone out shopping with Mushi. "*Oka-san," he said, "You need not worry. I'm not doing anything…serious."

"How can you tell me not to worry," she complained in a faint Japanese accent. "How do I not worry when I'm afraid that the next phone call will be to tell me of your death?" She shook her head in disproval, her long, straight dark hair and bangs whooshing form side to side. "Would you please, just stop what you do and get an honourable job."

She was talking about the drug dealing. Her son had been doing drugs and alcohol from a tender age. By the time he was eleven, he had joined a bad group of boys who did hard drugs. His behavior required that she and her son move out from her home. She used to leave with her brother and his family many years ago, but when Kensei joined the gang and took up their habits, Mr. Sanban had to put his foot down for the sake of his family. He was afraid that his nephew would be a bad influence on his daughters. She had tried several times in vain to get her son clean through rehab. But he always found a way to get high. Eventually she quit and just hoped that as he grew up he would outgrow his habit. He was surprisingly responsible as an adult. But he still had underground ties of which she did not approve.

"Oka-san, I promise, I am getting out of this business." _If she only knew the extent of what I do, _he thought. _But she should never know about the boys. I would shame her even more than I do now._ "I am getting out and preparing to settle down. I will live a normal life," he said as he reclined further in his chair.

"Really?" she asked joyfully. "You will leave this dark world behind?" He nodded and smiled at her. "And you have a girlfriend? That is good. She will help you to be more stable. When do I meet her?" He just smiled at her.

xxx

Kuki arrived home in the midmorning. She planned to spend the weekend with her family. She had actually not been home since the beginning of the semester, which was about two months. None of her parents' cars were in the driveway. She noticed a slick silver Mercedes SLR parked under a tree right off their driveway. _Wally would love that, _shethought with a sad smile. "Oh Wally," she said under her breath_. _She removed her spare key from her pocket and tried to insert it into the keyhole. It would not enter. She bent low to peep through it, and noticed there was a key in the hole already. She rang the doorbell.

"Aunt Suzuka?" she said in surprise when her auntie opened the door for her. Gosh, it had been so long since she had seen her.

"Sweetheart," Suzuka said with a warm smile as she hugged her niece. "You're so grown up and pretty. Come in, come in. Kensei," she called, "come say hello to your sister."

Kensei walked into the livingroom and smiled at Kuki. "*Ohayo," he said with a polite bow.

"Ohayo kuzaimas," she replied, reciprocating his bow.

"Oh, I'm so happy we're one big family again. You two need to catch up," Suzuka said blissfully.

xxx

Kuki was in her room searching her desk drawers for her college catalogue. She could hear a deep rumble and girly voice outside her room. Then laughter as Mushi burst through her bedroom door, Kensei behind her. He stopped at the door as he looked at Kuki. She looked at him apprehensively. Her little sister was oblivious to the rising tension between Kuki and Kensei. "Come in," Mushi said innocently as she beckoned him with her hand. He walked in slowly, unsure of what to do. He stood awkwardly next to the wall.

"Mushi!" Mrs. Sanban called from the kitchen.

"I'm coming," she yelled back as she briskly walked out of the room.

Once alone, Kensei straightened his back and looked at his cousin. She stared at him wearily, papers in hand. "How are you?" he asked.

"Alright, I guess."

He nodded, studying her face. "You're afraid of me," he said matter-of-factly. She just continued to stare at him. He crossed the room, heading toward her. She was seated on her bed, and she instinctively moved further away from him as he approached. He stopped when he saw her reaction. "Sorry," he said as he raised his hands, his palms facing her. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Kuki thought he looked sad when he said that. He looked at her desk and saw a picture of a blond boy in a frame. He picked it up and studied the boy's face. "This your boyfriend?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"*Soka," he said quietly as he gently put down the frame.

xxx

Oka-san is 'mom' in Japanese, Ohayo is 'good morning', and soka is 'I see'


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

It was Tuesday evening, and the coffee shop was packed to capacity, as was the norm when The mOholos were due to perform. Wally and Kuki met Nigel and Pauline there. As usual, Nigel had asked his girlfriend to go with him, and as usual she had refused, because she didn't want to hang out with him and his friends. She only wanted to hang out with him. Occasionally, they would attend the performances together, but not that day. _Why do I even ask, _he wondered as he sipped his drink.

"How's your manfriend?" he asked Pauline disdainfully. He still did not approve of her relationship with Kev Wyatt.

"He's fine, actually. He begins work at Darwin on Friday." Darwin was a university on the other side of town. Pauline still could not believe that Kev had literally quit his job for her. _He's full of surprises, that one. "_You look really great by the way," she said honestly in reference to his facial hair. Nigel was now sporting a moustache and goatee. It made him look a little older, in a good way, though.

He brought his hand to his chin as he felt the short dark strands. "Thanks, at least someone's noticed," he said with a sulk.

"Lizzie hasn't said anything?" she asked. He shook his head in reply. They had sort of made up after their previous fight about Wally. Sort of, in the sense that they began talking again, but they acted like that situation had never happened.

"Maybe she doesn't know how to tell you." He scoffed at that. "I'm serious, it's a possibility."

"She _never_ compliments me," he said quietly, eyes downcast.

Pauline felt sorry for the poor boy. "Listen, I think you two just need to learn to communicate a little better, that's all."

"I guess," Nigel said with a shrug.

She draped her arm over his shoulder. "Create some alone time for the both of you and just talk. Don't let her leave till you guys make a little breakthrough, alright?" He nodded again. Turning to face the other couple, she asked, "Y'all alright?"

"Yeah," Wally said with a little smile, his girlfriend under his arm. They looked happy, but if one looked closer, they would see sadness or worry in their eyes. Pauline was that someone looking closer. She returned his smile.

xxx

The crew had made sure to be at the coffee shop that evening to give Abby some moral support. Since finding out about her dad, she had been a bit down. She, however, did her very best to seem like life was all flowers and candy. Then Pauline had an idea. She found Abby and Hoagie and suggested that the former join the band. Everyone knew she loved singing, so why not join a group where she could do just that? Hoagie thought it was a brilliant idea. Besides, he and his girlfriend were always singing or humming little tunes to and with each other. "It would be awesome to perform together," he had said, flashing his girl a wonderful smile.

Abby was not so sure. She was feeling kind of shy about it, and thought that she would be no good and freeze in front of a crowd. Hoagie and Pauline managed to convince her to attend a few practice sessions with the band. She began to relax the more they sang together, and come that Tuesday evening, she was ready to perform in front of a crowd, provided she only sang one song.

Towards the end of the session that evening, Hoagie addressed the crowd. "Today's request is gonna be one of a kind, because its lead singer is a special guest. Please put your hands together for Abigail Lincoln," he said as Abby walked nervously onto the makeshift stage, "who just happens to be my beautiful, beautiful girlfriend," he continued in turbo-tongue, looking sheepish. The crowd applauded and laughed at the additional comment. A guy in the crowd then hollered, "Can she really sing, or is she just here coz she's your girl?" The rest of the crowd was eager for a response.

Hoagie replied with a chuckle, "Uh…we'll let you be the judge of that, ok?" He went back to sit on his stool as Abby took to the mic. "Hi everybody. Thank you for having me. It will be an honour to perform tonight's request," she said nervously before adding, "I'm afraid I'm not as talented as these guys. The only musical instrument I can play is the radio." That got people laughing. She then raised her arms in request for silence.

The band began to play its instruments as Abby took a deep breath. Chad on electric was immediately followed by Hoagie on acoustic a few seconds later. Yvonne was next on the drums, creating a fantastic beat before Nathan (whom she had just winked at) hit the keys. Abby then got singing in her strong, soulful voice:

_You took my hand, you showed me how_

_You promised me you'd be around, uh-huh, that's right_

_I took your words and I believed _

_In everything you said to me, yeah-huh, that's right_

_If someone said three years from now_

_You'd be long gone _

_I'd stand up and punch them out, coz they're all wrong_

_I know better, coz you said forever and ever_

_Who knew?_

The crowd was clearly impressed as Abby continued to grow in confidence as the performance wore on.

…_I'll keep you locked in my head _

Yvonne joined in to echo Abby's singing:

_(My head)_

_Until we meet again_

_(Meet again)_

_Until we, until we meet again_

_And I won't forget you my friend, what happened?_

_If someone said three years from now, you'd be long gone_

_I'd stand up and punch them out_

_Coz they're all wrong, and_

_That last kiss, I'll cherish_

_Until we meet again_

_And time makes it harder_

_I wish I could remember_

_But I keep your memory; you visit me in my sleep_

_My darling, who knew?_

Major applause erupted when the performance was over. The band got a standing ovation yet again, which meant that the crowd definitely thought Abby's singing was good. She got a major confidence boost from that.

As the crowd began to dissipate, a beautiful redheaded girl approached the stage as the band was putting away its equipment. "Hi Hoagie." The young man being addressed stood and turned around as he heard his name.

"Oh, hey," he said with a smile. "How are you doing?"

"Not bad. Great performance tonight."

"Thanks." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Hey Abs?" he called. His girlfriend approached them as she dropped a stool that she had pushed against a wall. "This is…uh…Eva," he said in introduction.

Abby nervously shook her hand. "Hey. Uh…pleasure to meet you," she gulped discreetly. Back when they were in the KND, Abby had heard of the legendary beauty standing before her, but they had never really met.

"You sang beautifully," Eva said with a slight smile.

"Thank you. I really enjoyed myself," Abby said with a blush.

"That's nice to know," she said with a hint of sarcasm. "It was _my_ request." She walked away without another word.

Xxx

It was Wednesday evening, and the crew had gone for dinner in the school cafeteria, having just come from the auditorium after watching a play that was performed by members of the Theatrical Club. It had been an outstanding performance. When the group was done with their dinner, Kuki and Wally rose to their feet. "So guys, Kuki and I are gonna go now. We'll see you later?" Wally asked as he lifted his brow. The others at the table nodded and said their goodbyes. Kuki could feel her tears threatening to emerge, so she quickly turned her back to her friends. Wally continued in a sad tone, "Take care of yourselves, alright?"

"Um, yeah," Nigel responded slowly as the rest of his friends exchanged questioning looks. It was as though Wally was telling them goodbye for good.

"Everything alright, man?" Hoagie asked, his face etched with worry as he studied his best friend.

"O'course. Just…wanna hang with my girl, you know?" he replied as he walked away, holding Kuki by the waist.

When the couple got to room 121, Kuki collapsed onto her bed in despair. Her tears were flowing freely as her body shook involuntarily. Wally sat down beside her and held her close. "Shh," he whispered gently. "Ssh, it will be alright, Kuks." His words made her weep even harder. He lifted her onto his laps to cradle her, holding her head to his chest. She grabbed his shirt in her fist and just cried.

"P-please Wally," she begged. "Please d-don't go there. Who knows what will h-happen to you. What if he…" she struggled to continue, "…k-k-kills you?" She looked up at him, her eyes wide, reflecting her plea.

He looked at her grief-stricken face, and his heart broke. He had never seen his girlfriend so distraught. It brought tears to his eyes. He felt like he had a lump in his throat, which he tried to swallow with difficulty so that he could speak. "I gotta go baby. For the sake of everybody I care about." He wiped away her tears with the back of his hand, but it was a futile effort because fresh streams would flow again. "I don't wanna die, but if I do…" Wally could not continue. He sniffed. "I love you so much, baby," he cried, burying his head in her neck.

"And I love you," she said into his chest, her voice muffled.

Wally then put her down as he got to his feet. She hugged him one last time, and they shared a series of short kisses. They were simple kisses; chaste kisses. Amidst their tears, the only thing their kisses could convey was sorrow and despair, fear and panic, but most of all, a love both strong and true.

xxx

Watching the tail lights of Hoagie's Chevy disappear into the night, Abby turned and walked along the paved path toward the dorms. Once at her door, she unlocked it and walked in. She found Kuki lying on her bed in a foetal position, supposedly watching TV as she cuddled one of her many rainbow monkeys. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen, and there were obvious tear tracks on her face. She was no longer crying, but Kuki figured it was because her ducts had run dry. Abby looked at the TV and noticed Will & Grace was on. She returned her gaze to her best friend. She sighed and walked over to her. She lay down beside, but said nothing. She just lay there. When the program ended, Kuki looked over at Abby whose eyes were shut. Her breathing was light, so the Asian girl knew that her friend was not asleep. Kuki moved a little closer to Abby and tilted her head toward hers until they touched.

"Abby?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you pray?"

"Not as often as I should," Abby admitted.

Kuki was silent for a moment before adding, "Could you pray for…my intentions?" she asked. Then having thought about it a little more, she decided to be more frank. "Pray for Wally."

"Sure," Abby said quietly and kissed Kuki on the cheek. "Sure."

xxx

Wally stood under a street light as he scrutinized the business card in his hand. He then moved his gaze to the building before him. Club Allure. He put the card into his pocket and walked towards…what exactly was he walking towards? Might he live? Might he die? Might he get raped? He sighed deeply. When he arrived at the main entrance, the two bouncers looked at him, and then quickly exchanged a word or two before holding him by the arm and leading him into the building. Wally's heart thumped desperately against his chest. _Here goes nothing, _he thought fearfully.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

He was quickly but carefully frisked before being admitted into the VIP room. Wally walked in warily as he took in the surroundings. It was a pretty dark room, and it took him a while to realize that there were two guys seated in the shadows. Seeing them just made him more nervous. Straight ahead sat the son-of-a-bitch with a boy beside him; the kid was definitely younger than Wally, but not by much. The man who 'invited' him to the club smiled at him, but his eyes were as cold as ever.

"Welcome, Wallabee Beatles," he said, mentioning his name with satisfaction. "I'm glad you came. Have a seat," he added as he pointed to an unoccupied two-seater leather sofa. The blond sat down, his eyes never leaving the man in expensive attire. He didn't trust him one bit.

Wally noticed the boy seated next to the drug baron was stealing glances at him. When their eyes met, he saw distrust and anger in the kid's gaze. Greg noticed the uncharacteristic behavior from his boy. He snorted and took a thoughtful sip of his brandy before placing his hand on the cheek of the brown haired boy. "What's wrong?" he cooed. "Afraid of a little friendly competition, you little BITCH!" He slapped the boy hard, the impact pushing the boy onto the other side of the couch.

Wally's heartbeat rang in his ears and he could feel little beads of sweat form on his brow. _Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. _He watched as the scrawny boy sat up, caressing the stinging cheek. He had tears in his eyes.

"Get out of here," Greg yelled. "I don't have time to babysit your bitch-ass." He took a drag of his cigar and exhaled, watching the grey fumes rise and spread lazily across the room. "Wait for me in a room. I'll deal with you later," he added quietly.

The boy got up quickly, whimpering all the way to the door. Before he could let himself out of the room, the door opened, and a man with caramel skin walked in. His face was stern. He barely cast a glance at the pathetic boy in front of him as he made his way into the room. His dark suit and black shirt made him blend into the room's darkness. The visitor went straight to the bar. He held the decanter at an angle, but did not pour himself a drink until he heard the quiet click of the door as the boy left the room.

"Kensei," Greg said with a pleasant smile. "What can I do you for?"

Kensei sat beside him and nodded in greeting. He sipped his drink before responding. "I was in the area. I thought I'd stop by for some girls." He looked around at the empty seats in the room. "Clearly, it's not my lucky day."

Greg clapped his friend on the back. "Yes, well…being the generous employer that I am, I gave them the night off." He put the cigar in his mouth and inhaled. "So how can I help you?" He smirked. "Perhaps I can give you a show," he said as he admired his blond playboy for the night.

The dark haired man got up and walked toward Wally. He smiled at him menacingly as he pulled the boy roughly to his feet. Greg bit his lower lip as he removed a gun from his waist band. He ran the cold steel barrel against the skin of Wally's face, before running it down his chest and stomach, finally coming to a stop at his nethers. His evil smile never leaving his face, Greg brought his lips to Wally's, or rather, that had been the intention. The blond boy had pushed him away mightily, and he staggered precariously as he tried to retain his balance.

Wally was mad. Scared but mad. All he knew was he that wasn't going to take this lying down, or bending over for that matter. _If this_ _asshole is gonna do anything to me, he'll do it to my dead body. _However, his brevity faltered slightly when he saw the animalistic look in Greg's grey eyes. The dark haired man, having regained his balance came at him at lightning speed and struck him with the back of the hand - the hand that was still holding the gun.

As Wally fell back onto the sofa, he brought his hand to his mouth where he had been struck. He moaned in pain when he touched his bleeding lip. Further investigation confirmed that none of his teeth had been knocked out. He stared at Greg and knew that he would not make it out of that room alive. The faces of his family, Kuki, friends, and Kuki again, flashed before his eyes as the man in front of him yelled to one of his bodyguards, "Get a room ready for me and this little shit!"

As the bodyguard left, Greg turned his attention back to his conquest. He smiled again and run his fingers on the now obviously frightened young man's face. "Oh, I like you. You really are an attractive boy," he said, looking at him with half-lidded eyes.

He stopped caressing Wally's face when Kensei spoke. "I have no interest in your games, Gregory." His voice was calm, like he had seen this type of thing several times. "I want some weed," he continued. "I'll go pick some girls from downstairs, and we'll have a good time." Kensei rubbed his chin and crossed his right leg over the other as he looked expectantly at the drug lord.

Greg snorted, and then clicked his fingers in annoyance at the other bodyguard. "Bring him some weed," he said with disinterest. "The good shit," he added as an afterthought. The man exited the room.

Kensei scanned the room carefully. It was just the three of them in the room now. Wally saw the visitor fidget quietly in his position on the couch before watching him walk to the bar to get a refill.

"And just who are you looking at sweetie?" Greg asked Wally. He shook his index finger at him. "Careful, I'm the jealous type," he said as he straddled the boy. Wally's eyes grew wide as he felt Greg's arousal.

"Fuck!" Wally yelled and spat in his face as he pushed Greg off. The latter picked himself up from the floor, his eyes filled with rage for the second time that night. He punched Wally, striking the opposite side of his face from the split lip. The man in the suit then quickly made a grab for the blonds' genitals, but the boy was too quick. Wally evaded him and gave him a hard kick to the back of the knee. Greg buckled, but quickly removed his gun and put the nozzle against Wally's temple. He laughed wickedly. "What now bitch?" he snorted. "Just so you know, I like 'em feisty." He punched Wally against the side of the face using his free hand.

"Greg," Kensei called patiently as he sipped his brandy, "why don't you give the kid a little time to get used to the idea, hmm?" He looked at Wally with indifference. "And in the meantime," he continued, returning his gaze to the other man, "you can just come back here and drink with me for heaven's sake. By the time we're done, I think he'll be ready for you."

Greg grunted, and tried to kiss Wally again. This time he was lucky because Wally was in a bit of a daze. His head was pounding from the blows he had received. Once again he made a grab for Wally's genitals, but the latter had regained enough of his senses to hold his hand at bay. "You're not getting my fucking Johnsons!" Wally spat furiously. Greg just smiled and removed his tie, draping it on Wally's shoulders as he returned to his seat. He looked at Kensei, the smile still plastered on his face. He picked up his cigar, but it was just a little stub left. He threw it at Wally, and it burnt him slightly. Greg got up to refill his glass. He looked at his bodyguards who were seated on the corner. He addressed one of them, "Is my room ready?"

"Yes, Sir."

Then addressing the second bodyguard, he asked, "You got the weed?"

"Yes, Sir."

Greg held his hand out, and the bodyguard gave him the plastic bag with the rolled joints. He walked back to the couch and threw the bag at Kensei, who caught it and began to inspect his package. He sat on the table, body hunched as he sipped his drink, all the while his eyes on Wallabee. "I'll give you the time of your life," he said as he took another sip. Greg made a face as he lifted the glass to the light from a solitary lamp. "This tastes fun–," he said, but could not complete his statement as he began to have difficulty breathing. His right hand grasped his chest and his eyes were wide. His breath became labored and he began to wheeze painfully.

His bodyguards noticed the change in their boss, and they stood up and ran to him when Greg's body crushed to the floor. Wally's eyes registered shock as he watched his oppressor lying on the floor, his breaths coming slowly and more painfully.

"Boss!" one of the bodyguards yelled. "Mr. Richard?" he called as he turned over his boss so that he lay on his back.

The other bodyguard removed his cell phone and began to dial a number. Before he could complete the call, Kensei spoke quietly, all the while appearing unmoved by what was happening around him. He had a gun in his hand which he pointed lazily from one guard to the other. He had quietly taken the gun out of a one of the drawers next to the bar when the guards were out and Greg was harassing Wally.

He took the last gulp from his glass before setting it on the table, careful to put it on a coaster. "Listen carefully," he said with a quick lick of the lips. "Gregory is dying." He posed for dramatic effect as he listened to the last struggles to breathe. Greg's wheezes were now very sharp, but very few between. Looking the bodyguards in the eye, Kensei continued, "You were never here. I advise you to take anything you feel is of value, and go. Leave the state, leave the country, I don't care. But this," he paused for a moment, "never happened."

The bodyguards didn't need to be told twice. They got up and rummaged through the drawers of the cabinet in the corner of the room. They took out all the bills and stuffed them into their pockets. They walked out calmly, sure not to rouse the suspicions of the guard on the other side of the door.

Wally was left in the room with Kensei and the dying man. He swallowed hard, shifting his gaze between the couch and the floor. _Shit,_he thought, _what's gonna happen now? _So he had been saved from the lunatic on the floor, but what about this other guy. _Does he want me too? _Greg was a scary man, but there was something about this new guy that scared Wally even more. May be it was because he killed Greg. _To kill Greg you must be bad-ass._ Kensei still had his leg crossed over the other, as though all this was a regular part of his routine.

The biracial man watched Wally with slight interest as the latter deliberated over him. He shifted his gaze to Greg when he breathed his last. Kensei sighed and looked at Wally. "You should go. He won't bother you anymore." Then Kensei removed a few bills from his jacket pocket. "Take this. It should be enough to get you home." The blond fellow took the cash and left the building. _Who the hell was that guy, _he wondered as he got into a cab that was parked along the sidewalk.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

It was late - about 1 a.m. - when there was a knock on the door. It was a half-hearted knock, as though the perpetrator didn't want to wake anybody up. The gentle knock persisted nonetheless. It roused Kuki from her not-so-deep slumber. She had been trying all evening to stay awake, hoping that Wally was alright. She didn't want to sleep before confirming that. She crossed the room quickly, looking back at Abby who had just woken up as well. As Kuki turned on the light, the African American of French descent nodded in encouragement as her friend put her hand on the door knob. Unlocking the door, she opened it and yelped in shock when she saw her boyfriend's bruised face. She jumped into his arms, and he welcomed her into his embrace, holding her tight.

"Oh God, Wally, what did he do to you?" she asked as she pulled out of the hug to look up at him.

Wally smiled and brought his lips to Kuki's, stealing a quick kiss before he replied with a shrug, "You know me. I wasn't going down without a fight." The Asian brought her hand up to his face, touching him ever so gently. He winced and she withdrew her hand quickly, before bringing it instead to her face as tears flooded her eyes for the umpteenth time that night.

"Don't cry, Kuks," he pleaded. "It's all over now," he added as he wiped away her tears with his thumb. She looked up at him, slight disbelief reflected in her eyes. "It's over," he reiterated. "He's dead. He's never coming back." This time she smiled, and her tears were now of joy. She held his hand and led him into the room, where he sat on the edge of Kuki's bed. Seated next to Abby, he smiled at her and patted her knee. "Wally…?" she said quietly as she looked at his bruised face with worry. He smiled. "It's not as bad as it looks. Trust me."

He pulled Kuki down to sit on his lap, and she put her arms around his neck and buried her head in the crook of his neck. "I was so scared, Wall," she said with a sniff. "I'm glad you're okay…sort of okay," she added as she looked at his now tainted face. His lip was split near the corner of his mouth. His left cheek was blue and swollen right at his cheek bone, and on the opposite side of his face he had a black eye.

Kuki straddled him, and Wally held her firmly by the waist as he received lots of tiny kisses to the parts of his face that didn't hurt. With that course of action, Abby got up and clapped him gently on the back. "Gimme your keys, man. I sure ain't stayin' around for this," she said with a huge yawn. He reached into his pocket and removed his keys. He had his eyes closed as he basked in the 'loving' he was receiving, and so he held the keys out to no one in particular. Abby grabbed them with a smirk and made for the door as she said in a sing-song, "Goodnight lovebirds!"

As the door clicked shut, Wally lay back on the bed, bringing Kuki down with him. He kissed her with the good side of his mouth. "So, what happened?" she asked as she stretch her legs, lying flat against him. She ran her fingertips over his face as she studied it, carefully avoiding his bruises. "You said he's dead. Did you…?" she trailed off.

"Nah," Wally answered her incomplete question. "Crazy turn of events. Some guy I've never seen before saved my ass." He went on to explain all that had occurred earlier that evening. She shuddered as she thought of how many times Greg could have simply lost his cool and shot Wally. He held her to himself more tightly in an attempt to rid her of the shiver that had been brought about by her scary thoughts. Kuki listened to his heartbeat; a confirmation that he was there, he was alright. More tears escaped her eyes. She spoke in a choked voice, "I love you, Wally. I always will."

He smiled as he felt his heart warm at her words. He kissed the crown of her head as he caressed her back. Rolling over, he moved on top of her and kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you too," he replied as he kissed her again and again. He could feel a smile grow across her lips. Wally got up to switch off the lights as he removed his shirt and got out of his jeans before getting into bed with his girl.

xxx

Over the next couple of days the group of friends got used to the idea of Wally almost dying on them without their knowledge. They had blasted him about his secrecy, but they could not deny that he had indeed been between a rock and a hard place. They were all just glad he was alright. Wally had gone home the day after the incident to see his brother. Luckily their parents weren't home by the time he arrived. He didn't really want to lie to his folks when they'd have asked him what happened to his face. Of course, he would have said he had gone clubbing with his friends, and that some drunk fella tried to take a swipe at Kuki, so he socked him, and vice versa. His mom would have then panicked and admonished him, saying fighting is not the answer, while his dad would have secretly told him, "Good on ya, mate!" with a very proud smile on his face.

Joey looked absolutely remorseful upon seeing the injuries his brother had sustained. He could barely look him in the eye when he apologised for being so stupid and getting Wally to fight his battles. The older Beatles boy scoffed. "Don't worry about it," he said as he clapped Joey on the shoulder. "We're brothers. Just, don't do anything like this again. At least learn from your mistake, ay?"

The younger boy nodded. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

Wally sighed. "I know."

xxx

Abby had become an honorary member of The mOholos, performing one song with them every other day. She had become pretty popular among the fans, so much so that the owner of the coffee shop asked the band to add one more day to their performing week in his premise. The band usually played on Tuesdays and Fridays. They were more than willing to add on Wednesday evenings as well. The owner would raise their pay for the extra performance. That meant Abby could earn some good money too. Really, it would be a win-win situation. So just like that, Abby became an official member of the band, taking part in the entire performance of the evening, not just one song.

Three weeks after the new performing arrangements, Hoagie had saved enough money to get a good apartment. He'd asked Abby to go house-hunting with him.

"And there's the other room," the landlord said as he took the couple for a tour of the house. "It's slightly smaller than the other one. But you wouldn't need that much room since it's just you two. The gentleman can take this room," he said of Hoagie. Then addressing Abby he added with a smile, "You could have the other room. You'd put better use to the extra cupboard space, I'm sure." She laughed at that. She didn't have the heart to tell him the house was for Hoagie, not both of them. The owner seemed convinced that the house was right for them.

The landlord's phone rang. He went into the corridor to take the call, leaving Hoagie and Abby to deliberate about the house. "What do you think?" Hoagie asked as he walked to the window, looking at the view. From that room he could see the roof of St. John's Cathedral on the horizon. She walked up to him and put an arm around his waist as she too looked outside.

"It's a nice little house," she said honestly. "Location's great. The place is alive with sound, but not too noisy. Transportation won't be a problem. Lots of street lights. I saw a couple of convenience stores nearby. And the rent's reasonable." They were quiet for a while before she added, "I think you should take it."

The middle-aged landlord, named Albert Klassen, came back a few minutes later. "Made a decision, Mr. Gilligan?" he asked as he raised his brow.

Hoagie turned around, draping his arm over his girl's shoulder. "Yes sir. I'll take it."

"Very good. Very good," Klassen said happily. He took the couple into the living room where they could read and sign the contract. Hoagie paid the deposit right there and then. Al handed him the keys to the house and left. He really liked the couple, and felt sure that they would take good care of his house.

The couple stood side by side as they gave the living room a final once over. "So, you like this house, right?" Hoagie asked.

"Yeah, I think it's lovely," Abby replied sincerely.

Hoagie brought his girl in front of him and turned her around to face him. He looked into her dark brown eyes. "Then move in with me."

Abby's jaw dropped, and the corner of her mouth twitched as she felt a smile come on her face. "Are you serious?" Hoagie nodded slowly, a smile steadily creeping onto his face. "Yeah," she replied breathlessly. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. Then she added, "But I can't be here everyday. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I've got night classes, so I'd stay in the dorms."

"Fair enough. I'll take what I can get," he responded as he lovingly kissed the tip of her button nose. "Ok, babe, let's go. I wanna get to the bank before it closes." He needed to go and transfer a month's rent into Al's account.

xxx

Kensei sat in his living room watching Top Gear. He was a sucker for hot luxury vehicles. He was even contemplating buying a Jaguar at that particular moment. He had a shiny silver Mercedes, though, and concluded that it would be unnecessary having two high end vehicles. He would definitely stand out more in the neighbourhood, and really, he wanted to keep a low profile. He didn't want people to be all up in his business when he brought Abby home.

Abby. He loved that girl. It was an unhealthy kind of love, but he wanted her. He wanted her so bad that he recently changed his lifestyle. _A girl like that has got standards_, he mused. It's why he wanted out from the drugs and prostitution ring. But he couldn't get out of it until Greg was out of the picture. It's why he killed him. That, and because he was going to destroy his sister's boyfriend, which would by extension, destroy her. There was no other way around it. Greg had to go.

But Kensei had not turned his life around yet; he still did drugs. Even at that very moment, he was in a light-headed daze as he had been snorting coke within the privacy of his four walls. It had been nine and a half days since he had last indulged in his guilty pleasure. Instead he had smoked the sweet weed that he had taken from Greg's club. He smoked it to wean himself off of the harder stuff. But on that lazy afternoon, he needed something strong. So there he sat on his couch in a stupor as he watched TV._ I want Abby_, he thought again as his eyes grew heavy.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Abby sat quietly as she looked at the man seated across from her at the diner. She didn't know what to say. She didn't trust herself to speak anyway. Whatever she might say, she would never be able to take back.

"So, uh, how are you, sweetie?" he asked nervously as he toyed with his lunch.

_He looks so tired, and stressed out_, Abby thought. "I'm a'right, I guess. All things considered…" she replied softly.

David Lincoln nodded. He looked at his daughter's sad face. "That's good," he said just as quietly. The child he was most close to sat there with contempt on her face. "I'm sorry I betrayed your trust, Abby," he continued. "I shouldn't have cheated. I hope–"

"Yeah, you shouldn't have cheated," Abby cut in, unable to keep her annoyance out of her voice. She felt her eyes sting. "But you did. I…I don't understand. What went wrong? I mean…Mama? How do you cheat on Mama? Have you looked at your wife? She's beautiful. Inside and out. What's not to love?" She had rambled quietly but forcefully, her tears rolling freely down her cheeks. She grabbed her serviette and wiped her face as she glared at her father.

He had been in the country for the last couple of days, and had spent them wondering how to get his family back. He didn't know where his wife was. But he had Abby's number, so he had called her that morning and asked to see her. He was just glad she didn't hang up on him.

"It's all my fault," he admitted solemnly. "You're right, your mother's perfect. She didn't deserve this. None of you did. I fell. I…" he swallowed the lump in his throat, having difficulty admitting his faults, "…I was weak," he said finally.

Abby felt sorry for her dad, even though she did her best not to. _No sympathy. He cheated. _She could not live up to her thoughts though. She let out a sigh. "You should tell that to Mama. She's the one you need to be making amends with." She got out her little writing pad and pen from her purse and wrote down her mom's new address. Tearing off the paper, she handed it to him.

He took it and read through it slowly before pocketing it. "Thank you."

Abby just nodded. Her gaze softened as he held her hand in gratitude. She couldn't hate him, no matter how hard she tried.

xxx

Wally had class, so Nigel had the room to himself; himself and his girlfriend. The room was quiet. Nigel basked in the afternoon's sunlight as it passed through the window behind him. He looked at Lizzie who sat on the opposite end of his bed stiffly. She had a pout on her face. She was upset because her boyfriend had insisted they 'talk'. Talk about what was bothering her. But nothing was bothering her, she had insisted.

"Really?" he had asked. "Then why do you seem so aloof?" He pointed at his chin. "I don't even know what you think about this," he said in reference to his new goatee. "Do you like it? Does it suck?" he asked as he raised his arms questioningly.

"This is about your stupid facial hair?" she asked angrily.

"At least now we're getting somewhere," he replied, though his voice was laced with hurt.

Lizzie realized she had hurt his feelings. Right there was one of her weaknesses. When she was pissed she would do or say something to hurt the other party involved. "I…I didn't mean it," she stuttered.

"No, it's fine. You hate it. Now I know."

"I didn't mean it, dammit! I mean it, your goatee and moustache is nice. You…you look really handsome," she said with some difficulty. She wasn't used to issuing compliments, hence it could not roll off her tongue easily. "You look very handsome," she said quietly as her cheeks burned.

Nigel was relieved, but just for a second. "But then what the hell is the problem? Why can't you try to like my friends?" he asked as he held her gaze.

"Please Nigie, just drop it," she said as she adjusted her glasses with her index finger.

"They are my best friends. You're my girlfriend. I need you guys to get along. You guys are the most important people in my life."

Lizzie stood. She was fed up. "Gimme the keys," she demanded as she held her hand out to him.

"Not until we talk about this," he said defiantly.

She shot him a nasty look. "I swear Nigel, if you don't open the damn door…" she shouted, "just open it," she continued in a lowered voice, "I've got nothing to say."

He gave up and gave her the keys. She took them and unlocked the door as she walked out, freeing herself from the room that was filled with nothing but condemnation.

xxx

It was Friday night. Pauline and Kev had gone down to the coffee shop for The mOholos performance. It was the first time that Kev had ever attended their gigs. He had bopped his head to the music, much to the joy of his girlfriend, whom he had earlier told that he didn't want to come because he was sure the band wasn't as good as she said. Of course, he was just playing when he said that. He liked disagreeing with whatever she said, for he loved to see her slightly annoyed face as they argued about silly little things. She was so cute when she was mad. He would end up smiling when she was annoyed, which would piss her off even more before he put an end to the argument with a kiss. They had officially been an item for three weeks, after having gone on dates for nearly two months.

Now as they sat together listening to the music, he had his arms across her shoulders, and he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Pauline. She gave him so much joy, and made him feel alive. He appreciated every day he lived because of her. Some of Kev's former students sat at a table beside theirs, and the couple could hear them saying some nasty things about them. One girl from Pauline's English class had coughed 'whore' into her fist as she passed their table.

Pauline didn't give a damn what people were saying. She loved Kev, he loved her, and her best friends loved her too. That's all that mattered. But she had come to learn that Kev had quite a temper, and even at that moment she had to calm him down before he could call his former student back to say what she had to say to his face.

"It's ok, sweetie. We always knew some people would be against us, right?" she asked quietly as she rubbed his arm to soothe him.

"Yeah, I guess," he said in a low growl as he tried to keep his temper in check. She kissed him on the neck and he could feel the tension melt away, his face and jaw muscles relaxing as the angry furrows disappeared. She had that effect on him.

After the performance the two had gone back to Kev's place for dinner. They had helped each other cook. It was nothing fancy; pasta and meatballs, which they enjoyed as they ate together on the plush carpet in the middle of the living room. After doing the dishes they watched an omnibus of **Star Wars: The clone wars** on Cartoon Network before soon forgetting about their sci-fi as they engaged in a steamy make out session with the sounds of clashing light sabers as their ambience.

There were gasps and nips and bites and kisses and slow roaming hands and scattered apparel on the floor before Pauline gently held her boyfriend at bay, her hand on his broad, bare, hard chest and his lips a mere few centimeters from hers. She breathed heavily, "Whew," before she continued, "I am a young woman at the prime of my youth." She gulped, her eyes filled with desire. "I have _needs…_and this…," she said with a defeated smile, "…is not helping."

He smiled a lazy lopsided smile as he stroked her bare arm. "So, you wanna leave?" She shook her head. "You wanna stay?" She nodded. "So. Stay," he said, his eyes half lidded as he recaptured her lips with his. She leaned into him and trailed her fingers up and down his torso while holding the back of his neck with her other hand. He got up from the couch with the remote in hand, his lips never leaving hers as he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. He pressed the power button and threw the remote on the couch as he walked to his room, still kissing his girl fervently. He swatted the wall a few times before he found the switch, killing the lights in the living room. He held Pauline firmly as he pushed the bedroom door open with his back and lay her down on his bed where they took a slow passionate ride aboard the ecstasy express.

xxx

The following day Wally and Kuki had gone to the coffee shop together for breakfast. As they sat in an empty booth going over the menus, Wally's attention was caught by a man walking briskly past their window. His jaw dropped and his eyes grew wide. "Kuks," he called excitedly as he kept his eyes on the man. "Kuks, that's him. That's the guy who saved my ass," he said as he pointed at him.

Kuki quickly turned her head to look at the guy. He wore a dark blue sports jacket with two white straps running along the length of the sleeves. His collar was up to keep the cool autumn temperatures out. He was carrying a paper bag with the coffee shop's logo on it. The man walked toward his car, unaware of the pairs of eyes following him. "That's my brother," she said in disbelief.

"Huh, you have a brother?" Wally asked incredulously.

Kuki barely heard her boyfriend as her mind went to Kensei. She would never have guessed that he was the one who saved Wally's life. The Kensei she knew could not possibly protect someone, could he? Not after what he had done. _Surely, he is incapable of compassion_, she thought.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Abby and Pauline sat at a table together at Pasty's. Kuki had just brought their orders, and they offered her some of their fries. "Don't mind if I do," she said with the sweetest smile as she picked one fry after another. "Ok, if I go on, the other customers will think that we've got bad manners and service here," she said as she dipped one more fry in ketchup and got back to work.

"So, you said you're going to meet the parents, huh?" Abby asked as she bit into her juicy burger.

Pauline's eyes grew wide as she replied, "Yeah, I'm so nervous about it. I've never really done 'meet the parents' before. And now, just thinking about meeting Kev's…" she shuddered, "…freaking. out."

"Nah, you'll be ok. They'll love ya. You're…you," Abby encouraged.

The African gave a nervous chuckle. "Man, I hope so," she said as she sipped her soda. "I really hope so."

Abby smiled at her friend as she tilted her head and furrowed her brow. "You really love this guy, huh?"

"Yeah, it's ridiculous, right? Considering how I couldn't stand him in the beginning." Pauline clicked her tongue. "It's a mad mad world. Anyway, like I said, I'm freaked out about the parents. He doesn't talk about his family much, but I know he talks to his mom on the phone every other day. So they must be close. And so she is gonna watch my every action like a hawk."

"Hey, don't complain to me about his lack of openness. You chose him. _By yourself_. You were under no duress whatsoever to go out with him. And after all your dates, you _did_ realize he wasn't much of a talker." Abby added with a roll of the eyes, "We all realized he's not much of a talker." She said that as she recalled the time her friend had introduced Kev to the rest of the gang. He made small talk, but was quiet most of the time. It wasn't an uncomfortable sort of silence though. And he'd occasionally say something really funny. It would be even funnier because of how he said it; it lacked any kind of amusement in his voice, as though he wasn't trying to be funny at all.

Abby, however, couldn't deny the obvious. She could see how smitten he was over her friend by the way he looked at Pauline, they way he smiled and held her discreetly. _The two are such a contrast of the other_, she thought, _but I guess it's how they work. The contrast is their compliment._

"Hey," Abby said to her friend who looked exceptionally worried, "it will be ok. Kev loves you. His family must love him. So they'll at least try to give you a chance, you know."

Pauline gave a tight smile, hoping that Abby would be right. Just then she looked out the window. "Ooh, look at that," she said with some excitement.

Abby turned in the direction that her friend was looking. She saw a guy standing across the road. His back was to them and he pressed his arm against what she assumed was his car as he leaned against it. He brought a cigarette to his mouth using his free hand. He wore a red jacket whose collar was up, covering the back of his neck. As she looked at his hands, Abby noticed that he was very light skinned, but his short curly hair wasn't typical Caucasian. She raised her right brow questioningly as her gaze shifted to her friend, eyes squinting slightly, "Uh, what exactly am I supposed to be looking at?"

"The guy; he's hooooot," she said. "Too bad he turned before you could see his face. He is so cute." Then she smiled naughtily. "Though he doesn't look too bad from the back either," she said as she admired his physique.

"Um, excuse me, we _are_ in a relationship, aren't we?" Abby asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, but, you know, he ain't got nothing on my man. I'm just…comparing, that's all," she said sheepishly. "Ahh," she squeaked as she looked at her watch, "gotta get to work, sweetie." She looked at Abby apologetically, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to leave you alone. I thought Hoagie would be here by now."

Abby waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. And I'm sure Hoagie's almost here. Must have got delayed at the garage."

"Ok," Pauline said as she stood up, adjusting her handbag strap on her shoulder. "I'll see you later?"

Abby nodded as her friend smiled at her and left. She sat by herself for two minutes as she sucked on her soda straw. As it emptied the cup the liquid made a slurp, and her cheeks flushed as two people turned to look at her. She smiled shyly and pushed the cup away from her. She then removed a novel from her backpack. As she read the first paragraph of Nelson Demille's 'The Lion's Game' from where she had left off, someone came and stood beside her table. Abby looked up.

"May I take a seat?"

She looked around the diner. There were other unoccupied tables. She turned back to the guy next to her. Abby recognized him as the guy Pauline had been checking out. Her friend was right. This was one very attractive man. "Do I…know you?" she asked hesitantly.

He gave a small smile and made his bottom lip protrude slightly before retracting it as he shrugged. "Maybe. If you let me sit down, I might be able to jog your memory."

Abby looked at him, studying his face for a while. He _was _familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on where or when they could have met. Finally she said, "Ok, sit." Her curiosity was piqued. "So tell me, where have I seen you before?"

He sat and leaned back lazily in his chair. "You tell me. Might you have seen me in your dreams, perhaps? That would certainly make my day," he said, his face lit with amusement.

She scoffed. "That's definitely not it. I'd have at least remembered your smooth talk," she said with a roll of the eyes. She studied him again intently as he sat back and watched her, brow raised as he waited for any sign of recognition. "Ok, I'm clueless. Sorry."

He gave a quiet little laugh. He leaned forward, planting his elbows on the table and supporting his head in his hands. "Think back to when you were a little kid."

As Abby tried to remember, Kuki approached their table. She held a tray in which she was carrying all the plates and cutlery as she cleared tables. When she got to Abby's table she stopped dead in her tracks. "*Oniichan?" she said in a startled voice. She wasn't expecting to see him there, or anywhere for that matter.

"*Neesan," he said with a small smile as he nodded in greeting.

Abby immediately had a light bulb moment. "Kuki's cousin," she said as she snapped here fingers, a triumphant smile on her face. "Yeah," she added as it all came back to her, and her smile began to waver. She looked at Kensei in a new light, but for fear of staring, she turned to her friend. "Hey Kuk's," she said with uneasiness. She placed her plate on the pile in the tray. "Thanks."

"No, thank you," Kuki said appreciatively and quickly went to the kitchen. She put the tray on the counter and then leaned against it. She suddenly felt a little hot under the collar. She tried to fan herself with her hand in vain. She couldn't understand why, after so many years, she still couldn't be herself around her brother. "I'm such a wuss. "

"Are you alright, missy?" One of the cook's asked the Japanese girl, concern reflected in her voice.

Kuki nodded vigorously and turned her back to the cook. "No," she said quietly. "I'm bigger now. Nothing will happen."

xxx

Hoagie walked into the diner seven minutes later. He quickly spotted Abby, her long hair held in a ponytail. He walked towards her happily, approaching her from behind. "Hey babe, sorry I'm late," he said as he bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek. He then held out his hand and smiled. "Hi. I'm Hoagie," he said as he waited for Kensei to take his hand.

The man in his mid-twenties shook Hoagie's hand firmly. He did not smile as he introduced himself, but his face did not give off any hostility either. He watched as Hoagie sat beside Abby, and how she looked so content near him. It pissed him off. But he had a good poker face, so even then his irritation did not show.

"Kensei was just leaving, right?" Abby said as she looked deliberately at the man seated across from her.

He smiled tightly. "Of course." He got up and zipped up his jacket. "It was nice seeing you again," he said to Abby. "Bye."

Hoagie waited until Kensei was out of the building before turning his head to look directly into his girlfriend's dark brown eyes. "Ok, what the hell was that?" he asked in wonder. Abby had been so uneasy when that guy was around. To any other observer, Abby may have seemed fine. But he could read her, and he knew something was up.

Abby sighed and shook her head. She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her waist as he waited for her to speak. She bit her bottom lip as she went down memory lane; her eyes were distant. Hoagie looked down at her with worry. "Abby, are you ok?"

She nodded her head slightly. "It's just…I'm so embarrassed…ashamed…" She wrapped her arms around his torso and looked up at him. "I'm just glad you're here," she said shortly.

Hoagie brought his hand to her cheek. She looked really troubled. He kissed her gently on the lips. "D'you wanna go home?" She nodded again. "Come on," he said as he led her out of the diner.

xxx

As Kensei got into his car, he heard hurried footsteps behind him. "Wait!" he heard a familiar voice shout. He rolled down his window as Kuki approached him, looking flushed. Despite how she felt about him, she had to at least go and tell him this one thing, "Thank you," she said breathlessly, "for saving Wally." When he didn't seem to know what she was talking about, she added quickly, "My boyfriend."

"Aah," he said with a nod. He gave her a sad smile; she still looked at him with trepidation. "It's about time I did something right by you."

**Author's note:**

*Oniichan is '(big) brother/bro' and neesan is 'sister/sis' in Japanese.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Hoagie, Nigel and Wally sat upstairs in the cafeteria, each with their nose in a book. They had a World Civilizations CAT that afternoon. History – Wally hated history with a passion. He kept flipping through the pages so that he could count them down as he read a chapter. There was silence at the table except for when the Aussie would turn the never ending pages with irritation. Nigel was writing short notes in his notebook as he read the content of his course text. Hoagie's mind wasn't even there at all. He was looking at his book, but saw nothing. His mind went back to his conversation with Abby the previous day when they got home from Pasty's.

…

"So that guy is Kuki's cousin."

Abby nodded.

"And he says he wants you?"

She nodded again.

"O-kay," Hoagie said slowly. "But what's the big deal? Guys hit on you every other day."

Abby bit her lip before responding. "He makes me uncomfortable."

"Yeah, I can see that. But why?"

"He…he…scares me…a little bit," Abby stammered. When Hoagie furrowed his brow and tilted his head, she continued, "Um…" she let out a prolonged sigh, "…this is really embarrassing and shameful. I've …never told anyone…before." Her eyes were downcast.

He gently raised her chin with his fingers, and she slowly looked into his eyes. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

She shifted slightly as she made herself more comfortable where she lay on the couch, her thighs draped across Hoagie's as she rested her head against the armrest. "I know," Abby said as she held his hand to her face. "When we were kids, Kuki and I would play at her house. We were…about four or five, I guess. And uh, Kensei used to live with the Sanbans. He was about twelve or thirteen at the time. He used to drink a lot then, and smoke and stuff."

Hoagie whistled. "He started early, huh?"

"Yeah. So sometimes when I'd go over to Kuki's, Kensei would be there; like he was the one left in charge when the folks were at work."

Hoagie raised his brow, giving an incredulous look and Abby rolled her eyes. "I know, right? Leave the drunk in charge. But maybe his mom and Kuki's parents didn't know about his extra curriculars. Anyway, every time I went over to Kuki's and it was just us and Kensei, he was always drunk. He would reek of alcohol. And he'd smoke up the house too. I don't think ever really saw him sober. He would come to the room where Kuki and I were playing, and sit down to watch us.

Sometimes he'd send Kuki to go get something from some other room, and when we were alone he'd…" Abby stopped talking. She felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She averted her eyes from Hoagie's for a while before looking back at him as she continued, "…he'd pick me up and put me in his laps as he sat down again. And…" her voice cracked and she bit her lip as she looked up at the ceiling, "…he…I could feel it…and he would rub…he would hold me and push me against it…he practically made me grind on him…and I could feel it as I sat…it was hard…"

Abby looked back at Hoagie, and he could see fear in her eyes. Fear of reproach; fear that he would judge her. He tenderly caressed her cheek as she continued to hold on to his hand, and he wiped away a stray tear that betrayed her. He held her gaze, and she only saw love in his blue eyes – no judgement.

She found her voice again. "…I was curious…so I just sat there as he made me grind…and I knew what it was… but still I thought 'what's that?'…but I never told him to stop, coz I was afraid…he only stopped when Kuki came back…I never told her…coz I was ashamed. I knew what he did was wrong…bad manners…but I let him…I was ashamed. He went away with his mom…but now his back…and if he could do stuff like that then, as a kid…what could he do now…as a man? And he says he wants me…and he won't quit until he has me…it's what he said to me today." Abby sighed deeply, feeling as though she had just thrown away a heavy burden.

Hoagie felt so sorry for her. He pulled her up so that she was in a sitting position, and he held her to him. "You were just a child, Abs. It wasn't your fault," he said quietly into her ear.

"Sometimes I can't help but feel like it _was_ my fault. I had too curious a nature." She chuckled humorlessly, "I spent my childhood as…a paedophile magnet..."

…

As Hoagie thought about Kensei and what he did to Abby, he felt a wave of anger wash over him. The pencil he had in his hand snapped and broke onto two pieces, one of which fell to the ground. Nigel and Wally both turned to look at him in alarm. "You ok, man?" the Briton asked nervously as he saw the unfamiliar scowl on his friend's face.

Hoagie's eyes were murderous as he looked at Nigel, but the shock registered in the European's face prompted him to take a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves. "I'm…fine," Hoagie replied curtly, and he bent over to pick up the piece of pencil. _That son-of-a-bitch had better stay the hell away from Abby._

xxx

Nigel finished his World Civilisations paper with plenty of time to spare. He handed his exam booklet to the balding lecturer and left the classroom as he put his pen into his pocket. Walking along the path to the dorms, he spotted two girls seated on the benches at the smoking section of campus, commonly referred to as 'Smokers'. He changed his bearings and headed toward them.

"Hey Nigel," Kuki called happily as she waved enthusiastically at him. Abby, who was seated beside her, smiled and waved at him too as he approached.

"Hey girls," he said as he dropped himself between them. Abby rubbed her thumb around a certain spot on his bald head. He looked tired. She furrowed her brow as she asked how his paper was. He sighed. "It was pretty good actually. But talk about writing intensive – I'm right handed but I wrote so much my left hand hurts."

"Oh, poor boy," Kuki said with a cute little pout as she rested her head on his shoulder and rubbed his arm.

Just then a slightly chubby girl with a red French braid walked up to the trio. She cleared her throat before speaking, "Can I talk to you, Nigie?"

He looked at her with slight annoyance. "You might not have noticed my friends here," he said as he held her gaze.

She gnawed on her lip in irritation. But suddenly her face appeared apologetic for just an instant before it became unreadable. "Hello Kuki, Abby."

"Hey," Kuki said quietly as she sat up straight. Abby just nodded in greeting.

Turning back to her boyfriend, Lizzie again asked if they could talk. They hadn't spoken in nearly two weeks. They were both equally stubborn, but this time Lizzie cracked first. Nigel was still pissed off about her walking out on him the other time. Instead of replying he just looked at her as he contemplated what to do. He wasn't sure he was ready to talk to her yet. He felt that Lizzie took him for granted. And quite frankly, he was getting sick of it. He had even thought about just breaking up with her once for all. Their relationship was just an emotional roller coaster. One day she was hot, the next cold. His patience was wearing thin. When he failed to reply, she turned away in disgust.

She had gone about forty metres away before Nigel got up and sighed. "I'll see you guys later," he said quietly as he jogged after his girlfriend. He had seen the sadness in her eyes as Lizzie turned away and with that disgust-laden face.

"Lizzie," he called. She stopped and turned her head to look at him. "Wait up," he said, as he got closer to her, and began to walk in stride with her.

As they walked away together, the two girls watching them turned to each other, Kuki shrugging her shoulders. "What's up with them?"

"What's _not_ up with them?" Abby replied with a question of her own. "Those two are like oil and water. I don't even know how they've been together this long. And Lizzie, she's just so…you know…"

"Yeah," Kuki said with understanding.

xxx

Nigel sat on Lizzie's bed, one leg crossed over the other. "So, what did you wanna talk about?"

Lizzie stood by the headboard of her bed. "I'm sorry…for walking out on you the other day," she said with heartfelt sorrow.

"Yeah," he replied with a slight roll of the eyes. "I was giving you a chance; a chance to help me understand…you. Then you just up and left." He sighed. "I dunno what you want. You know I love you, but am I the only one in this relationship who's interested in trying to make it work?"

Lizzie removed her glasses, laying them on the dresser. She hid her face in her hands before looking back up at him. "I _do_ wanna make this work."

He scoffed, "Could'a fooled me. Seems like I'm the only one bringing anything to the table. Meet me halfway." She sat down on the bed next to him, looking defeated. "Lizzie, baby…talk to me," Nigel pleaded as he reached for her hand, his gaze softening.

"Your friends don't like me," she said flatly.

He scoffed again. "What do you expect? You don't like them either."

His words hurt her. She expected him to reassure her that his friends didn't really hate her. "The girls…Kuki and Abby…they're so beautiful."

Nigel looked at his girl with confusion. _What does that have to do with anything? _He did not voice his thoughts though. He tilted his head as he waited for her to continue.

"They make me uncomfortable," Lizzie said quietly.

"Why?" Nigel asked incredulously.

"I'm not like them…I'm not as beautiful as they are. I just think…I feel like they look down on me coz I'm not as pretty." Her eyes were downcast.

"What the hell? Lizzie…" Nigel said with frustration, his brows furrowed. He got off the bed and knelt before her. He looked into her glassy eyes, and for the first time he saw the very insecurities she was revealing to him. He held both her hands in his. "Lizzie, that's ridiculous. They would never look down on you. And what's this about not being beautiful? I see a beautiful girl right here. I've told you you're beautiful."

She laughed humorlessly. "You're my boyfriend. You're supposed to say such things."

"But I _mean_ it," he stressed.

"I was a fat kid, you know that. My cousins…they always laughed at me coz I wasn't beautiful, or thin. They were beautiful, and they had great bodies. They still do. And I…I'm still this - ugly," she said as she turned her head away from him. She didn't want him to see her cry. That was weakness; she was pathetic enough as it was without bawling in front of him. She drew one hand away from his so that she could wipe away her tears. "Even my friends at school would make fun of me. I was fat, and ugly, and wore glasses. I was just…crap." She turned to look at her boyfriend. "I tried Nigel. I tried to lose weight. I tried everything, but no matter what I did, I just stayed fat." She hiccoughed before continuing, "No one likes a fat girl.

You complained that I never give you compliments. I really am sorry," she said honestly. "But I don't know how to say something nice about someone. I've never received a compliment in my life. I guess it's coz of the way I am. There's nothing nice that could be said about someone like me."

Nigel felt a huge lump in his throat. Tears stung his eyes. He couldn't believe his girl had such low self esteem. _Kids can be rough, but even her own cousins? What kinda crap is that? _"Lizzie, you _are_ beautiful. To me, you are beautiful," he said sincerely as he looked into her grey-green eyes. "And I love your body. You've got beautiful curves." He stretched and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. He then rested his forehead against hers. "I love you as you are, Lizzie."

She sniffed. "Really?"

"Really," he said with a smile.

"But your friends…?"

"My friends are not like you're phony school friends. They will see you for who you are if you give them a chance to really get to know you."

"But–"

Nigel interjected. "Look, I get it. You've been kinda…_bitchy _(he said that word with obvious distaste) towards people coz it was like your defense mechanism. You've been doing it all your life. But my friends will love you, as long as you are the real you. Don't worry about them. They are not as shallow as you think," he said with a smirk as he kissed her again.

He got up and brought his girl to her feet as well. "Come with me," he commanded as he led her by the hand.

"Where are we going?" Lizzie asked as she wiped the last of her tears away.

"Just trust me and come on," he said eagerly as he reached for the door handle.

Lizzie hesitated, and he stopped in his tracks. She looked up into his hazel eyes as she felt fresh tears prick her eyes. "Thanks for not giving up on me…for not quitting on us, Nigie. I love you." Her boyfriend smiled sweetly at her, and he swallowed another lump in his throat as he felt his eyes sting too. He pulled her to him and draped his arm on her shoulder as they walked out of the room.

xxx

"Ok, seriously, what are we doing here?"

Nigel had driven them up to the carnival. He led Lizzie through the crowds. It was getting late but there were still many people arriving. He put his index finger to her mouth to silence her. "Just come with me," he said as he used his body to clear the way for her. Finally they got to the building he had been looking for. Lizzie looked up at the building – The House of Mirrors.

Nigel walked in first, his hands behind him as he still held on to Lizzie's hands. "Ok, here we are," he said as he brought his girlfriend to stand in front of him. He held her by the waist as they looked into the first mirror they encountered. Lizzie lifted her brow as she looked at their reflection. Their faces were disproportionally huge. She couldn't help but laugh. She looked back and up over her shoulder to see Nigel looking down at her with a smile on his face. She returned his smile and looked back at the mirror.

He then gently pushed Lizzie forward, past the first mirror toward the next one, as he shuffled after her. This time their faces were the right size, but their eyes looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. Their eyes looked like they belonged on an alien's face. They laughed as they squinted at the mirror.

They went past that mirror, toward several others, each of which did random things to their reflections, until they found a normal plane mirror. They stared at their reflections. They looked just as they were supposed to. Nigel hunched over and rested his head on Lizzie's shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close. Lizzie smiled and whispered, "We look perfect."

"Exactly. That's what I see every time I look at you, an incredibly beautiful woman." He kissed her shoulder as he looked into the mirror. "All the other reflections we saw, they weren't us. That's what you're cousins and the other kids saw. But the truth is you looked like this the whole time," he said as he nodded at their reflection.

She smiled and tears welled in her eyes as she turned to look him in the eye. She held his face in her hands and ran her finger along his jaw. "You are incredibly handsome, Nigie, and I'm sorry I never told you this often. I love you," she said and tiptoed to kiss him long and deep.

Xxx

Hoagie put down his piece of chicken and licked his fingers as he removed his ringing cell phone from his pocket. Who could be interrupting his ever so tasty dinner? He smiled as he looked at the caller ID – Abby.

"Hey babe," he answered happily, and she could easily hear the smile in his voice.

"Hey," she said with a hearty laugh. "How are you?"

"I'm better now that you called."

She rolled her eyes and smirked. "Didn't see you after your paper. How'd it go?"

"It was o-kay. But I had to write a lot!"

"Yeah, Nigel said the same thing. So I guess you're tired after all the writing you did."

"Um, not so much. I _may_ go to bed early though, coz I–" Hoagie was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Hmm, someone's at the door," he spoke into the receiver as he got up off the couch. He opened the door and had an incredibly surprised look on his face. His visitor couldn't help but laugh. "Uh, I'm gonna have to call you back," Hoagie said into the phone as he held his hand out to his visitor. "There's an uber hot babe in front of me, and I just can't multi task. So…bye," he said as he hang up.

His visitor hugged him and gave him a kiss on the chin. "I just had to see you. I missed you," she said in reply to his unasked question.

"I'm glad. This is waaaay better than a phone call," he said as his girlfriend walked into their apartment. "But actually, what are you doing here? You should be in class," he said as he looked at his wrist watch.

"Yeah, well, the lecturer cancelled class – the better for us," she said with a sly smile as she hid one hand behind her back.

"Awesome, I think I like your lecturer," Hoagie said as he held her by the waist. "And what are you hiding?" he asked as he tried to see what was behind her back, but she moved away from him so that he couldn't see it.

Finally she held it out to him. It was a brown teddy bear with a red tie. He looked at it and smiled. "Are you trying to ruin my rep? I'm a grown man. I don't play with dollies."

"Hmph, please," Abby said with an exaggerated roll of the eyes. "You forget, I've been in your room back at your mom's. I saw your Winnie the Pooh bear."

She saw his cheeks flush red. "Yeah, well, I…I do own a teddy bear," he finally admitted, the smile still on his face.

"So it won't hurt you to own another," she said as she gave it to him. "It's my favourite teddy. And you're my favourite person. It's only fitting that you have it," she said sincerely.

Hoagie took the teddy bear and gave his girlfriend a warm hug. "You're sweet, you know that? Thank you." He sat down and brought his girl down with him. "I love it," he said as he kissed her. He picked up his dinner and looked at her. "Chicken?" he offered.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The room was dark, the faint white light cast by the moon was scarcely enough to make out the silhouette of the couple. She lay on her side, her leg jackknifed over her lovers' as she rested one hand over his chest. His strong arm was wrapped around her, while the other was folded under his head, supporting it as he stared at the ceiling. He broke the silence, "You awake?"

"No."

He chuckled quietly and rolled over, his girlfriend pinned under him as he kissed her, slowly caressing her tongue with his. She moaned as she tasted him, savouring the essence of chamomile and eucalyptus. He pulled away, but not before giving her one more little kiss. He remained propped above her on his elbows as he spoke. "Thank you…for meeting my family."

She smirked. "I didn't have much of a choice, did I?"

"Nope," he said with a little laugh as he lay down again, this time jackknifing his leg over hers and placing his arm across her waist.

She recalled their visit to the Wyatt residence.

…

Pauline and Kev stood on the porch as they waited for the door to be answered. The Kenyan was nervous, and her boyfriend could tell. He looked her in the eye as he held her firmly by the shoulders. "Relax," he had said, "They won't bite…much." She gulped and he added with a smile, "I'm kidding. It'll be ok. Trust me." He gave her a kiss on the forehead just as someone opened the front door.

"Kev!" the blonde lady exclaimed happily when she laid her eyes on him. She looked like she was in her mid to late twenties. She hugged the tall African American man before letting go and turning to his date. She smiled warmly at Pauline and held her hand out to her. "And this must be your girlfriend," she said with an excited squeal as they shook hands. Pauline smiled nervously at her. _What the hell is going on? _she thought as she threw a quick glance at Kev. _Wasn't I only supposed to be meeting the family? Not family friends too._

Kev smiled at his girl reassuringly. "Brooke, meet Pauline. My girlfriend, as you so aptly put it," he said proudly with a lopsided smile. "Pauline, Brooke – my sister," he introduced as he gestured between the two ladies with his hand.

Pauline always prided herself in being able to keep a straight face whenever necessary, but this time around the news was too surprising. She gawked, her gaze shifting between the supposed siblings before she could hide her emotions. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson when Brooke giggled at her reaction while Kev smiled and his eyes twinkled. "Yeah, I know. We get that a lot…" Brooke said with a roll of the eyes.

"…so don't be embarrassed," Kev continued as he led Pauline into the house.

xxx

The Wyatts were a very kind and hospitable family. They were down to earth and rather talkative. But no one could beat Brooke. She was quite the chatterbox, Pauline had observed. As the evening went by the African became more and more at ease. When they sat down to dinner, Sam said grace.

Pauline looked round the table as they ate. Sam was the eldest of five Wyatt children. There was Sam, Adam, Gerald, Brooke, and lastly Kev. She had noticed that Kev and Brooke were really close. They were constantly whispering and giggling together whenever he wasn't chatting up his girlfriend.

"The food is absolutely delicious, Mrs. Wyatt," Pauline complimented.

"Thank you, dear," the woman in her mid fifties said sweetly. Her brown hair was graying, but she was aging gracefully. She was a really beautiful plump woman with cute beady eyes. "And didn't I tell you to call me Maeve?"

"Yes, ma'am," Pauline replied, and the table burst into laughter.

Maeve's plump cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she said, "Oh, dearie me. You _are_ a difficult one. What's all this 'Mrs. Wyatt' and 'Ma'am' thing?"

Pauline laughed too when she finally realized what was so funny. "I'm sorry. But I grew up knowing that it's disrespectful to call someone who's older than you by their first name...we'd have to be mighty familiar with each other first."

"Aah, ok," Mrs. Wyatt sighed, giving a little pout. "I understand. I can't wait for when you'll call me Maeve, though."

Pauline was touched as she understood the hidden message behind what had just been said. Under the table, Kev quickly grasped her hand as a sign of reassurance, and she smiled up at him.

After dinner Pauline helped Brooke and Mrs. Wyatt to clear the table. At Maeve's insistence, the dishes were left in the sink and the three went back to the dining room where they sat and drank hot cocoa together. Kev was in the living room with Sam, Adam and their father, Chris, while Gerald helped his sisters-in-law do the dishes in the kitchen.

The three ladies talked about all sorts of things, until finally Mrs. Wyatt said to Pauline, "You know, you're really something."

Pauline blushed. "Um…not really," she said humbly.

"Nah, seriously," Brooke said. "D'you know Kev has never, and I do mean **never, **brought a girl home?" When she saw the incredulous look on Pauline's face, she added, "Seriously. He's twenty six years old, and he's never brought a girl home."

Pauline was stumped. "How's that possible?" she asked quietly. "Are girls here blind? He's…" she went quiet as embarrassment washed over her. She had forgotten who she was talking to. She brought her mug of cocoa to her mouth as she waited for the flush in her cheeks to disappear.

"Yeah, he's hot!" Brooke said animatedly as she smiled. "But, you know, he can be a bit…" the blonde went quiet as she searched for the right words.

"…difficult to love," Maeve said as she looked lovingly at her son who was deep in conversation with his father in the other room. She sighed, "Kev had a difficult childhood. So he's not very trusting, and he doesn't open up to people easily. You've got to be a special kind of someone to be able to earn his trust, or his love."

"And you've found the key to his heart. You've got his love. And you obviously love him. I can tell," Brooke said as she placed her hand on Pauline's arm. "You see him. The real him; like no one else can."

"It's why I say you're really something," said Mrs. Wyatt. "My son has got a lot of love to give, but he won't give it to just anyone. You're special."

Pauline felt overwhelmed with emotion. These people believed in her so much. What if she let them down? "I'm just a kid," she said quietly, looking down at the steaming chocolate milk.

"Yes…you are pretty young," Mrs. Wyatt said thoughtfully before adding, "But you've got a good head on your shoulders."

"That is so true," Brooke said as she took another sip of her cocoa. "Thanks for giving my brother a chance. He really loves you, you know. Whenever we talk on the phone he always talks about you. You make him really happy," she said honestly.

When it was time to leave, the family escorted the couple to the driveway. Maeve gave Pauline a big bear hug. As the two got into Kev's car, Mr. Wyatt bent down low to look into the window that his son had just rolled down. "It was a great pleasure meeting you," he said to his son's girlfriend as he smiled.

…

Pauline was brought back to the present be the distant barking of a dog. "You have a great family," she said quietly into the darkness.

"Yeah," Kev yawned, "They're the best."

"They're white."

"Mm-hmm," he agreed groggily, burying his face into the back of her neck as he spooned her, warming himself with her heat as sleep overtook him.

xxx

It was a nice and sunny day outside. Or rather, that's what it looked like. The sun was emitting about as much heat as a flashlight. Jamie was sitting in the kitchen with his hand in a box of Frosties while he held his cell phone to his ear with the other.

"Oh really," he said into the receiver. "Well, I was kinda hoping you could help me out with math. You're pretty good at algebra, and I'd be real happy if you would replace my x," he said with a sheepish grin as he threw some of the sugar-coated toasted flakes into his mouth.

The fourteen year old girl on the other end of the line giggled. "I've heard that one before."

"What?" Jamie asked in mock shock. "Who's that with game like me? Last time I checked my only competition could be found in the mirror. Which means…you've been dreaming about me, right…?"

Right then there was a knock on the door. The young teenager jumped off the counter and walked to the door, a smile still plastered on his face as he hit on his crush over the phone. As soon as he opened the door he shut it again. His mother came out of her room to find out who was at the door. "No one," Jamie said as he covered the receiver of his phone with his hand. "Wrong house," he added as he walked into his room, shutting the door behind him.

Mrs. Lincoln was just about to turn around in the hallway and go back to her room when she saw a shadow under the main door of the house. She arched her brow as she walked to the door and opened it cautiously, just enough to peep outside. "David?" she said, her accent more pronounced than usual due to her surprise upon seeing her husband.

Mr. Lincoln stood in the corridor looking lost. "Genviéve," he said, moving his arms feebly as he tried to speak. "I'm sorry," he said weakly, unshed tears swimming in his eyes.

Had David not flown several thousand kilometres across several African countries as well as the Atlantic Ocean, Genviéve might not have been so willing to let him into her house. She gestured that he cross the threshold. He walked in slowly and stood in the middle of the room. She shut the door and sighed as she hugged herself to get rid of a chill. She wasn't sure if the shiver was caused by actual chilly temperatures or because of the presence of her husband. "Would you like some tea, coffee?" she asked, finally breaking the silence between them.

"C-coffee would be great," he said quietly. He looked around the room as he took a seat in the kitchen. "Nice apartment." Genviéve made no indication that she had heard him as she poured the black brew into a mug. She added two teaspoons of sugar to it – it's how he always took his coffee.

"Thank you," he said as she gave him the mug. She sat opposite him and scrutinized his appearance as he sipped his coffee. He had some new lines in his face; at the corner of his eyes and a more pronounced one on his forehead when he furrowed his brow. His eyes had fairly dark circles around them, indicating that he hadn't had a decent night's sleep in a while. She tore her gaze away from him as she willed herself to not feel sorry for him.

David looked at his wife over the brim of his mug as he drank. He took her in. She was still as beautiful as ever, even when she tried to keep her face stern as she did then. He had hurt her, and it showed, no matter how detached she tried to seem. It brought a huge lump to his throat to know he had caused her immeasurable pain, and he choked as he took another sip of his beverage.

He coughed and coughed. He put the mug on the counter as he continued his fit, hunching over and banging a fist to his chest as he gasped. He didn't know when it happened, but Genviéve was soon behind him, intermittently banging his back and rubbing her flat palm against it to soothe him. As the coughs died down and he caught his breath he turned on the stool to look at her. Her face portrayed concern as her eyes were wide with emotion. "What do you do to me, David?" she asked in a rasp whisper. "I shouldn't still love you."

xxx

Kensei had become quite the stalker, and his target had no idea she was under his almost constant observation. He remembered when Abby's friend had spotted him through the window at the diner. He had been quick to turn around before the girl he loved had been alerted to his presence. He hadn't wanted Abby to see him just yet. Timing was everything. He had waited, and when the African girl left he had decided it was time to meet his dream girl; to see her up close once again. It had been so long – since he was what, twelve, thirteen maybe? God, he loved her. And he knew she loved him too. It's why she let him touch her the way he did all those years back.

He now sat in the middle of the room, close to the wall. It was darker there. He liked darkness. It was his fortress. The coffee shop was full as the crowd waited for The mOholos to perform. Kensei had had no idea Abby could sing like that. She was just amazing. Everything about her was amazing. He smiled as the band began to perform. Abby looked like the stage was her forte. She was bubbling with confidence as she sang. Her movements were smooth as she swayed effortlessly to the tune. She hypnotized him. He drank his latte slowly, his eyes never leaving her body. Her brown skin looked so supple under the light. He unconsciously licked his lips.

The stalker did not know that he too was being observed. The auburn haired girl had noticed him over the past couple of weeks. He was a new customer; she was sure of that. He was incredibly attractive. There was no way she would not have noticed him before. He began coming to the coffee shop a bit after Abby had joined the band. It was obvious that the man was taken with the African American. He would ogle her from his strategic vantage points. She was going to talk to him that day, Eva decided.

As the crowds dispersed after the performance, Kensei hang back, still seated at his table. He wore his cloth cap low to cast a shadow on his face. That way it would be difficult for anyone to recognize him. Eva got up from her seat and went to the waste basket to throw her Styrofoam cup and used serviette. She took a deep breath and began making her way across the large room towards the cute guy seated in the shadows. Unfortunately for her, before she could reach him he stood up, suddenly leaving. She stopped in her tracks when she realized he was running away – away from Hoagie.

Hoagie had been dismantling the equipment together with his band on stage when he looked up and saw someone in the shadows. He couldn't quite make him out in the darkness. Just then one of the employees of the coffee shop had turned up the lights in the dimly lit hall, and he could clearly see the one person he did not want to see ever again. Without thinking, the brown haired young man dropped his guitar case on the floor and tripped on the wires of the mics as he tried to get off stage. His blood had suddenly reached boiling point the second he realized that Kensei had been eyeing Abby. He ran after the escaping stalker, leaving his band mates in shock as they watched the pursuit.

Kensei ran out of the building toward the still dissipating crowds. He slowed down and mingled with them, virtually becoming invisible. Hoagie looked around in frustration as his chest heaved. He ran his eyes over everyone as he scanned the groups slowly, deliberately. He flexed his fingers continuously as he fisted his hands. There! He ran towards the guy in a cloth hat who had made his way to the car park. Hoagie ran at full speed and tackled him from behind. They fell to the ground where the biracial man was pinned. Hoagie held Kensei by the collar. "You!" he growled, "Stay away from Abby. You hear me?"

Kensei just smiled lazily up at Hoagie, which further pissed off the already pissed off young man. Hoagie got off him and picked him up roughly. "What's making you so damn happy, huh?" he asked in a rage.

The stalker scoffed. "You can't tell me what to do. Abby is mine. She was always mine." As soon as those words left his lips, Kensei received a sucker punch to the side of his face. He fell to the ground again where he sat as he tried to gingerly touch his jaw. Hoagie was prepared to do more damage but just then he felt himself being held back.

"Dude! Leave him alone, man!" Wally said clearly as he held Hoagie back with everything he had. The brown haired man was bigger and stronger than the blond. Luckily, Nigel came up to them and immediately helped Wally restrain Hoagie as the Briton tried to cool down his enraged buddy. In the meantime, Kensei stood up slowly as he still held on to the side of his face. He didn't look upset. On the contrary, he looked thoroughly amused and once again flashed his adversary a pearly white smile. Hoagie tried to attack again, but his two friends held him back with great difficulty.

"Hoagie," Abby called, and he suddenly became still in his friends arms as he turned around to see his girlfriend looking at him with worry, a frightened Kuki standing beside her. He blinked a few times as he tried to rid his mind of murderous thoughts before roughly shrugging off his friends restraining arms and walked towards Abby. She was stunned. She had never seen her boyfriend mad; not nearly as mad as this anyway. When he got to her he took her hand in his and led her away unceremoniously. Wally, Nigel and Kuki watched as Kensei walked away from the scene before they turned and followed Hoagie and Abby back to the coffee shop.

As Kensei got to his car he heard some footsteps on the tarmac. He turned around and found a pretty redhead with a beauty spot on her right cheek looking up at him. She approached him slowly before she spoke. "You want Abby. I want my boyfriend back. Maybe we can help each other?"


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

That evening, Abby would spend the night at the dorms. She sat at the desk as she worked on an assignment while Kuki munched on chocolate chip cookies as she watched _Supernatural_ on low volume. The dark-skinned girl threw her hands in the air with a triumphant sigh as she finished her paper. "All done. Gimme a cookie, Kuki," she said with a wide grin, pleased with her supposed wordplay. The Japanese girl stuck her tongue out at her as she passed Abby the box.

"Um, Abs," Kuki called when a commercial came on. Abby had been lying across the breadth of her bed on her back, her legs propped up against the wall. She looked upwards so that she could see the upside down image of her friend. "Why was Hoagie so pissed off at Kensei?"

Abby rolled over to lie on her stomach. She looked at her best friend, not quite sure of what to say. "Are you and Kensei…close?" she asked.

"Not really. No," she said as she wondered what that had to do with anything.

"Ok, uh, let's just say he did something to me some time back…and now Hoagie doesn't want him anywhere near me," she replied as she avoided eye contact.

Kuki gulped, suddenly feeling very guilty. "Oh." She was lost for words.

"Yeah."

xxx

The crew was chilling together at lunch time in the school cafeteria. It was one of those days where everyone's schedule was empty, so they could hang out. Nigel had just called Wally on his cell phone to find out where he was and who he was with. "We're in the caf," the blond had said into his phone. "The gang's here, more or less." Wally hang up and waited for his bald pal to come upstairs. Seated at the table with him were Hoagie and Abby, Pauline and Kuki. The Aussie had just stolen a fry from his girlfriend's plate but as he brought it to his mouth he dropped it out of shock. His jaw dropped as he saw Nigel walk toward them with Lizzie in tow. The rest of the group followed his shocked gaze up to the approaching couple.

When Nigel arrived at the table he quietly mouthed 'Be nice' before he pulled a chair for his girlfriend to sit. "Hi everybody," she greeted shyly.

"Hey," Hoagie replied with an eager grin as he sat forward in his chair and placed his arms on the table. He couldn't believe Lizzie was there, and seemed shy too. That was so not the Lizzie he knew. The rest of the group smiled and waved as they said their hellos.

"I'm sorry I've been weird and a bit of a bitch to you guys all these years," Lizzie continued just as quietly; just as shyly.

Wally's green eyes grew wide and he brushed away the fringe of his now longer hair so that he could stare at Lizzie openly. He only broke his gaze because Kuki had nudged him. He shrugged at his girl as if to ask 'What?' before turning to Nigel. "What's wrong with her?" he asked, sincerely worried about the bespectacled redhead.

The Brit glared at his blond friend. "_Nothing _is wrong. Lizzie just wants to hang out. Is that a crime?"

"Uh…" Wally said as he scratched the back of his neck. He looked around the table at his friends to confirm if they too shared his bewilderment.

"Nah, it's great that you're here," Abby said as she looked deliberately at Wally before turning her gaze to Lizzie and giving her what she hoped seemed like a genuine smile.

The redhead bit her lip nervously before Kuki addressed her. "Lizzie," the Asian said sweetly, "Welcome to the family," she added as she got up and gave Nigel's girl a hug. Lizzie was too shocked by that gesture to reciprocate. She just sat up straight as she received Kuki's embrace, all the while her eyes moving between her boyfriend and Kuki's back.

When the Japanese girl pulled away, she smiled genuinely at the bespectacled girl who was still trying to register what had just happened. "Uh…thanks?" Lizzie said meekly.

Nigel, who was seated beside his girl, smiled and draped his arm across her shoulders. "See, they like you already," he whispered into her ear before giving it a little kiss. The group at the table smiled while Wally still wore a confused look on his face. He would definitely be the last one to get used to having Lizzie around.

xxx

Later that afternoon when the girls had left to go do their different things, the boys remained behind, lounging in the cafeteria. Hoagie was lazily sipping on his juice as Nigel rested his legs on the chair next to his as he read one of the newer espionage novels about Jason Bourne. Wally was excitedly playing Need for Speed on Nigel's laptop. When he crashed his ride and realized he would definitely not win that round, he gently pushed the computer away from him in slight frustration. He sighed and looked up at Hoagie who seemed to be in his own world.

"Dude, what's up?" he asked curiously.

Hoagie laid his eyes upon the blond and chewed on his straw before he responded. "Nothing, man."

"Come on, who d'you think you're playing?"

At this point Nigel's attention was on the two boys even though he did not lift his gaze from his book.

Hoagie gave his friend a look. "It's just…I don't want that guy from yesterday anywhere near Abby."

"Why? You jealous or what?" Wally asked innocently. "I mean, what could he possibly do?" Then added as an afterthought, "He's the one who saved my ass from that druggie, you know?"

Nigel cocked his head in the Aussie's direction. "Really?" he asked, astonished. "So that makes your savior a druggie too?"

"What? No…well, maybe…It doesn't really matter coz he saved me, so he can't be that bad, right?" Wally asked, pleadingly, hoping his friends felt the same. He felt that he really owed Kensei. It was a reasonable feeling, all things considered.

"Well, I'm not jealous," Hoagie replied wearily as he dropped the straw on the table. "I just don't trust him, that's all."

"How come?" Nigel finally asked.

"I've got my reasons," the brown haired boy said carefully, for he didn't want to give away Abby's secret.

Wally and Nigel exchanged a look and let the topic slide.

xxx

The couple was walking to campus from Pasty's arm-in-arm. Well, Wally had his hands shoved down his pockets as per usual while Kuki locked her arm in his as she leaned into him slightly. It was a chilly night and the dark haired girl had just finished her shift when she found Wally waiting for her outside the diner. He had always been around to walk her back to school when she had late shifts. She had quit protesting about his showing up a while back when he had insisted that he would always escort her if she was working late. She had instead come to appreciate the fifteen minute episodes when they were alone on the lit sidewalks, talking sometimes, and maintaining silence other times; just enjoying each other's company. That evening was a 'talking' evening, even though it was a bit one-sided.

"I just don't get it," Wally complained. "Why can't he cut Kensei some slack? I mean, it's not like he's the only guy who's got his eye on Abby. He didn't have to try punching his lights out, you know?" He looked questioningly down at his girlfriend when she did not respond. "Kuks, come on. You can't be on Team Hoagie with this…?"

Kuki shrugged. "I dunno, Wall. I mean, maybe Hoagie has a good reason to _not_ trust him."

He scoffed. "Are you serious? He's your brother. I'd have thought you of all people would have a little more faith in him."

"Well, you don't know him like I do. Besides, Hoagie is free to hate whoever the hell he wants. "

Wally stopped walking. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," she said as she shook her head. "Just drop it, ok?"

"Kuki?" he asked as he looked intensely into her dark orbs.

"Please Wally," she begged.

He didn't say another word as they continued their slow trek to school.

xxx

A couple of days later Eva knocked on the door. As she waited for an answer she tried to collect her thoughts. She didn't know what she would say once she was face to face with her. They hadn't really talked since her break up with Hoagie. The door was answered about half a minute later.

"Eva? What aaaa–" Kuki yawned before she could complete her statement. "What are you doing here?" she finally managed to say. She looked very sleepy, and it was obvious to her guest that she had just woken up.

"Hey," the redhead said with a bright and cheery smile. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

_Duh. _"Of course not," Kuki said with a strained smile. "What do you need?"

"I was looking for Abby actually," Eva said as she craned her neck to look inside the room. "Is she here?"

"Sorry, no. She's got class."

"Oh." Eva already knew that, but she managed to look very disappointed.

"Is it important?" asked the Asian when the girl before her suddenly looked so crestfallen. "I could give her a message," she said with a questioning inflection in her voice.

"Uh…no, it's kinda personal. But thanks anyway. I'll look for her later," she replied as she turned to leave. Eva immediately turned around again. "Wait!" she shouted just as Kuki was shutting the door. "Maybe…I could write her a note?"

"Ok, I guess," the Japanese girl replied as she scratched her head tiredly, her ebony hair falling out of the loose bun it had been tied in the previous night. She opened the door further to invite the visitor in.

"Thanks," Eva said as she walked into the dark room. Kuki made a little grunt and pointed at the desk near Abby's made up bed where there was a pen and a sticky note pad. The red headed beauty walked towards the desk slowly as her eyes roamed over everything that was out in the open. She spotted her prize on Abby's pillow. Looking behind her, she saw the Oriental girl pouring herself a glass of water; her back was to the visitor. Eva stealthily walked over to the African American's bed and quietly picked up the bunch of keys that lay on her pillow. She pocketed them and walked over to the desk to write a little note on the pad. She then peeled off the top leaf and stuck it to Abby's headboard. Flashing Kuki another smile, she expressed her gratitude and left. Kuki was more than glad to see her leave as she dove straight back to her bed to get her sleep on.

Eva walked down the corridor with a triumphant smirk on her face. _This was too easy, _she thought as she waved at some of her schoolmates, her hand in her pocket holding tightly onto her prize. Out on the footpath, she headed for the main gate of the school. She removed her cell phone and dialed a number.

"I got the keys," she said excitedly as the recipient answered his phone. "But we've got to be fast. Abby's class ends in another hour and a half."

xxx

Kuki opened the door for her roommate. "Morning," she said sweetly as she held her bowl of cereal in her hand.

"Morning, chica," Abby replied as she walked into the room and dropped her books on the desk. "What's this?" she asked as she peeled the sticky note off her headboard. Kuki didn't reply since she'd figured the question was rhetoric.

_Hey,_

_I'm sorry about the other evening at the coffee shop._

_I guess I was still hurting over the break up. I shouldn't have been so mean._

_Hope you can forgive me._

_Eva._

Abby smiled as she sat on her bed. She picked her bunch of keys off her pillow and tossed them onto the desk. _Looks like things are gonna get better from here on out, _she thought as she neatly folded the piece of paper in her hand.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

It had been a bit over a week since the incident with Kensei. Hoagie had become even more protective of Abby than ever, if that was even possible. He didn't want Abby walking around lonely areas on her own, be it day or night. If she wanted to stay over at their apartment after school, he wanted to pick her up. He had an overwhelming sense of foreboding; he just couldn't shake the feeling. Abby had tried to reassure him, and for her sake he pretended to let the whole thing go. He didn't want to worry her after all.

The brown haired young man was awakened by Whitney Houston's singing. Hoagie was never into her music, but he had soon come to learn that she was one of Abby's best singers. The song that was currently playing was one of his girlfriend's favourite tracks. So it was slowly starting to grow on him, especially because every time Abby listened to it she couldn't help herself; she had to dance. He loved watching her dance.

Hoagie threw the duvet aside as he got out of bed. He looked down at the floor searching for his slippers but he couldn't find them. He walked barefoot to the door and opened it just a crack. He spied his girlfriend in the kitchen. Her back was to him. A smile spread across his face as he saw her dancing as she prepared breakfast.

_So when the night falls, my lonely heart calls_

Abby was busy chopping tomatoes as she danced to the beat. She had already chopped the onions. She always chopped the onions first. '_Best to get the tears over and done with as soon as possible', _she always said. When the chorus of the song approached, she became giddy and threw a tomato into the air as she twirled her body before catching it in her hand again. She put it down on the counter and shook her tush as the chorus began:

_Oh I wanna dance with somebody_

_I wanna feel the heat with somebody _

She threw her hands in the air and jumped from side to side as she sang along:

_Yeah I wanna dance with somebody_

_With somebody who loves me_

Just then, she felt arms snake around her waist before her back made contact with a broad, bare chest. She smiled and melted into her boyfriend as she lifted her arms to hold the back of his neck. He pushed aside a few stray locks that had escaped the bun her hair had been tied in as he brushed his lips against the left side of her neck. She stopped dancing and shivered slightly, which made Hoagie feel like such a stud to know that he had that kind of effect on her. He planted little butterfly kisses along her neck before giving it a little bite. She shivered again, and he chuckled.

"Hi," he said as he nuzzled her dainty neck.

"Hey baby," she said weakly, surprised at how breathless she was.

_Somebody who, somebody who_

_Somebody who loves me_

"You're wearing my slippers," he said into her neck, his warm breath giving her goose bumps.

Abby angled her head to one side to give Hoagie more access to her neck as she responded with a smirk, "It's more like they're wearing me." She began to dance again, all the while being held in his warm embrace.

_I need a man who'll take a chance _

_On a love that burns hot enough to last_

_So when the night falls, my lonely heart calls_

She jumped with excitement when the best part of her song came around again:

_Oh I wanna dance with somebody_

_I wanna feel the heat with somebody_

Hoagie turned her around as she danced and lifted her onto the kitchen island. She shivered as she felt the cold surface under her thighs since her legs were bare; she was only wearing pink panties with her little white vest. That's something else that Hoagie had come to learn about his girl. She wore minimal clothing to bed, usually just her panties unless it was a cold night. In the latter case she'd wear a t-shirt as well.

_Yeah I wanna dance with somebody_

_With somebody who loves me_

Abby continued to move around as she did her best to dance in her sitting position. Her boyfriend stood between her legs as he came in for a kiss, his hands on her hips. There was a dull plop as the oversized slippers she was wearing fell to the floor. She held his face in her soft hands and kissed him fervently as she danced. She could feel him smile as she deepened the kiss.

_Don't you wanna dance, say you wanna dance, don't you wanna dance?_

_Don't you wanna dance, say you wanna dance, don't you wanna dance?_

_Don't you wanna dance, say you wanna dance, don't you wanna dance?_

_Uh-huh, with somebody who loves me_

She ran her fingernails along the length of his bare back, and he involuntarily arched towards her as he felt a jolt of electricity shoot down his spine. A little laugh escaped her mouth at his reaction, and he retaliated by running his fingers along her long shapely legs. He did have a lot of leg to work with, after all. He abandoned her lips without so much as a warning before trailing kisses along the inside of her thigh. She gasped and he looked up at her with a naughty smirk on his face. "Who's laughing now?" he asked huskily with a low chuckle. She returned his smirk and pulled him back up to her lips. She ran her fingers through his brown tousled mane and he sighed blissfully. He loved it when she did that.

The song ended and there were about five seconds of silence before the track began again. Hoagie pulled away but Abby hang on as she bit on his lower lip. She finally let go as he asked, "It's on repeat?"

"Oh yeah," she drawled seductively as she ran a finger down his chest to his abdomen. "We can go on all day," she said as she bit her lip, "or until the battery dies, whichever comes first," she continued as she looked deep into his mesmerising blue eyes.

He smiled mischievously, his gaze matching hers as his eyes reflected her intentions. "Awesome!" he said as he pulled her closer to him and recaptured her soft plump lips with his, his tongue probing her gently; patiently.

Down the street from their apartment, the lovers had no idea that their every gasp, sigh and moan was driving someone crazy. Kensei sat in a navy blue van listening to headphones that were attached to some equipment he had recently acquired. After making copies of Abby's keys, he had bugged her apartment two days ago with the hopes of hearing her voice whenever she spoke. But now all that he heard was pissing him off:

_Abby: You know what?_

_Hoagie: What?_

_Abby: I love you. I love you so freakin' much, I just can't believe it. Sometimes I think all this is just a dream; like it's just too good to be true..._

_Hoagie: Nah, baby, it's real. You're real *smooch*and I'm real *smooch* and we're real *smooch* and we will always be together *smooch* coz *smooch* I *smooch* love *smooch* you *smooch* with all of my heart, and all of my soul. And if you want, I can love you with all of my liver too._

_*giggle*_

That was the last straw. Kensei removed the headphones and threw them against the walls of the van as he screamed an expletive. He got out of the van's back door, slamming it shut in frustration as he imagined the look on Abby's face at that moment. He kicked the side of his vehicle savagely, drawing looks from passers-by. He was so mad he wanted to kill somebody. He walked around the van and got into the driver's seat. He pulled into the lane without checking the side mirrors for traffic. A horn blared at him as he sped off in anger, unaware of the accident he had just caused behind him as he carelessly vacated his parking space. The only thing on his mind at that time was that he needed to put his plan into action.

xxx

It was a quarter past noon when the church service was concluded. The congregation shuffled out of the building in a somewhat orderly manner. When they were out in the grounds, Hoagie and Abby walked one behind the other as they tried to pass through the groups of family and friends that were crowding the compound. Hoagie being taller than his girlfriend could see over most shoulders of the faithful. He thought he spotted someone familiar, and bent slightly to share the news with Abby. He pointed ahead of them, slightly to the right, and she squinted as she focused her eyes in that direction. Through the crowds she saw her father walking towards one of the car parks. She gave her man's hand a little squeeze in gratitude as she ran to her dad.

"Daddy," she called as she approached him.

He turned in surprise when he heard his daughter's voice. "Abigail," he said with a smile, "how are you, sweetheart?" He held her in a one-armed hug.

She smiled back at him. "I'm good. How 'bout you? How are things between you and Mama coming along?"

He wrinkled his face slightly before he replied. "Well, things won't improve overnight. But that's to be expected. At least she makes time to see me when I ask. She may not talk much during the sessions, but she's _making_ time." He sighed. "Jamie hasn't spoken to me since I showed up. He doesn't even look at me." He laughed under his breath and looked at the dissipating crowds. His jaw muscle jerked. "He hates me."

"He doesn't hate you," she reassured. "Trust me, he doesn't hate you. Heck, I tried to hate you." He gave her a look of shock and hurt. She shrugged at him. "I'm here, ain't i? He's just hurt. Give him time. Mama too," she added.

"Yeah, I'll just have to keep at it. And keep my head up," he said quietly as he thought of Genviéve.

xxx

The year was 1985. David Lincoln was a senior who was madly in love with his girlfriend. But she did to him something he swore he would never ever do. She betrayed him, and he felt his heart shatter into several little pieces. He had wanted to surprise her. He had been really busy of late with his med exams coming up, and so he had not managed to see her in a week, even though they went to the same campus. But he had missed her, and he wanted to take her out to dinner that evening. Besides, it was their three year anniversary.

David had bought a ring almost four months ago, but he had chickened out, and hadn't given it to her in all that time. He wanted to finally give it to her. He felt sure he could do it. But he needed some encouragement. So he went over to Chuck's dorm for a little pep talk. His heart was beating so hard and so fast as he imagined giving his girl the ring. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought he was having a heart attack. He knocked and waited at Chuck's door. He heard a giggle inside, and David guessed that his best friend was inside with some girl. Which girl though, he couldn't have guessed. He's best friend was such a stud muffin. The girls were pretty much throwing themselves at him.

The young African American man with a small fro was shell shocked when the door was finally opened. Chuck had been smiling at the person behind him but his face turned ashen upon laying his eyes on his best friend. The young Caucasian had opened the door wide open. He was wearing his pajama bottoms and nothing else. David's gaze lay beyond his friend. His eyes were set on the girl in Chuck's bed whose face was masked in horror. She had quickly covered her naked body with a sheet when she saw her boyfriend at the door. His face was hard and stern as a rock, but his eyes revealed despair and heartbreak. She had cheated on him. And to add insult to injury, it was with his best friend.

David turned around as he walked away from that room without uttering a word.

"Dave–,"

Chuck probably wished he hadn't spoken his best friend's name because the second he opened his mouth David had turned and descended upon him with a rain of blows. The dark skinned man would have easily beaten his friend to a bloody pulp if other guys from neighbouring rooms hadn't heard the scuffle and come to investigate. Not even the screams and tears of his girlfriend could have saved the young white man from David's wrath.

As he was restrained by his schoolmates, David shot a nasty look at his girl who was now standing in the middle of the room, the sheet still wrapped around her. "I swear," David yelled at her, "I swear, if I could I would have beaten the shit out of you too!" He had never wished he had the power to change people's gender. But at that moment, he wished he could turn that girl into a guy, just for five minutes, so that he could use her as a punching bag. But that would never happen, and he could never hit a woman, so he aimed a kick at Chuck's ribs as he lay on the floor.

David then shrugged off his restrainers and walked out of the dorm building. He couldn't be there, in school. He didn't know where he would go, but he couldn't be there at that particular time. As he walked along the footpath, he threw the ring that was in his pocket into a bin.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Hoagie was seated in the school cafeteria on the ground floor at a table near the cashier. He was having juice and a meat pie as he watched the students come into the big hall. He nodded in greeting at some of them as he continued to eat his snack. As he took another bite of his pie he saw a redhead who was on her way to the staircase. He hurriedly stood and covered his mouth as he called her. She turned in the direction of his voice and smiled when she saw him. She walked up to him, looking a little self conscious. They hadn't spoken since she had tried to make Abby feel guilty at the coffee shop.

Taking his seat again, Hoagie spoke, "Hi Eva."

"Hi Hoagie, long time no see, huh?"

"Yeah, economics class doesn't count," he said with a smile that just melted Eva. He was cuter than ever. "So, how are you…generally?"

She shook her head slightly as she seemed to have an internal debate about his question. "Well, you know, alright I guess." There was an awkward moment of silence during which they just sat there.

Hoagie broke the silence as he shifted in his chair slightly. "Um…Abby told me about the note you'd sent her…to apologise. That was pretty awesome. I know this whole thing has been pretty rough on you –"

Eva silenced him with a wave of the hand. "It's ok."

"No, it's not. I gotta say this, you're pretty awesome for doing that. I admire that. I'm sure it wasn't easy."

"Thanks," she said with an inaudible laugh. She ran her fingers through her auburn hair that was falling freely over her shoulders. "You're a great guy Hoagie. Any girl would be lucky to have you," she said sincerely.

He reached across the table and held her hand. "Thanks," he said with a little smile. _And any guy would be lucky to have Abby, _he thought. The brown haired boy looked at the clock on the wall opposite him. "I gotta go. Class," he said with a slight look of boredom on his face which got her laughing. He smiled. "Take care, alright?" he instructed as he rose to his feet and picked up his backpack. "Don't be such a stranger," he said as he walked away from her.

She watched him leave the cafeteria, and sighed as she propped her arms on the table and supported her head in her hands. She sat there daydreaming about what the future could bring for the two of them. "I love you, Hoagie," she said under her breath.

xxx

That evening Pauline had gone over to Kev's apartment to spend the night with him. They had gone to bed about half an hour ago, but he had been a bit restless as he tossed and turned. He strained his body though, as he tried to be as quiet as possible, hoping not to rustle the sheets too much.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Pauline asked into the quiet as she turned to face him.

He lay still, flat on his back. "I…want to tell you something. But I don't know how to begin."

She supported herself on her elbows and lowered her head to his to give him a kiss on the cheek. "You can start anywhere; the beginning, the end, anywhere." She brought her hand to his face and gave him a soft caress. "And start whenever you're ready. We've got all night, ok?"

He nodded and kissed her palm. She moved closer to him to snuggle and he wrapped his arm around her as he looked up at the ceiling. They lay there in silence for another fifteen minutes before he spoke again.

"My dad died when I was eight," he said, before going quiet again. Pauline stretched her arm across his torso and took his hand in hers, interlocking her fingers with his. He held her closer to him with his other arm. She did not speak as she waited for him to continue.

"He was a great guy. He worked hard to put food on the table. And it was an honest living too, not like most of the other dead beat dads in the hood. He worked at a construction site while most guys were out peddling drugs." Kev laughed quietly as he reminisced, before continuing in a voice barely louder than a whisper. "He was big and strong. I'd always wanted to be like him. He used to say that if I was to get muscles anywhere nearly as big as his, then I'd have to eat all the veggies on my plate." He smiled at his recollection. "I was probably the only kid who ate up all their veggies religiously."

He shifted a bit and continued. "So one day when my dad was coming home from work…things just went wrong." He laughed mirthlessly. "It's just crazy. He had pretty much arrived home. He was walking up the steps to the entrance of the flat…and he got shot. Just like that," he said with a shrug of the shoulders. "Some stupid gangs were having a drive-by. They just happened to do it by our street when my dad was coming home. He wasn't the only one who died. Those kids took out a number of people on the sidewalk. My dad was hit three times, and he bled out before the paramedics could arrive." He went quiet and was surprised to feel tears roll down his cheeks. He hadn't even realized he was crying. He slowly wiped away his tears, and Pauline gave his hand a little squeeze.

"My mom…well, she was inconsolable after that. The bottle became her only companion, which meant my brothers and I pretty much had to fend for ourselves. My brothers, being older than me joined the local gangs first. I'd tried to stay away, but I was too little to successfully rob anyone, so I joined them too." Kev swallowed a huge lump in his throat. He never spoke about his crappy past, and he felt very anxious laying everything out in the open.

He took a deep breath and continued. "The gang wanted to initiate me. So I was expected to kill or at least seriously maim a member of the rival gang. But man, I was scared. I was so small, there was no way I could have managed to take a fourteen year old kid in a fight and win…I was supposed to use either a gun or a knife. I refused to do it; I couldn't take a life. So the kids in my gang had to teach me a lesson. They beat me senseless. My own brothers instigated the punishment…coz I was a let down; an embarrassment."

Pauline was mute with shock. She would have never imagined that _that_ was the kind of 'rough' childhood Mrs. Wyatt had told her Kev had had. She let go of his hand and stroked his hair. She was glad that the room was almost pitch black, for she was sure she would not have been able to look him in the eye as he recalled his heartbreaking story. The sadness and bitterness in his voice was enough to bring her to tears.

"I don't know how I didn't die that day. Somehow I managed to get home. I don't know how long it took me to get there, coz I'd lost consciousness a couple of times on my way home. I was in bad shape. My chest ached so bad, it felt like knives were sticking into me. It was coz some of my ribs were broken. I was battered and bruised. Everywhere hurt. I collapsed at the door, and I was sure I would die, coz I remember seeing my mom's face before I blacked out. And she was as drunk as ever. I knew that was it."

He rolled onto his side to face his girlfriend and held her close as she tucked her head under his chin. "I woke up in hospital the following day. Apparently mom got a neighbor to drive me there. But I didn't get to see her, coz child services was called. I was taken to an orphanage, but I ran away less than a week later. I just wanted to go home. For a year things were as normal as they could be. Mom was still a drunk. My brothers were still gang members. And they'd bring their girls home and sleep with them when I was right there; in the lower bunker."

Kev sighed deeply before he continued. "One day my eldest brother came home. Dylan, his name is Dylan, and my other brother was Marlon. So Dylan – he was fifteen then – came home and found Marlon in bed with his girl, with Dylan's girl, that is. So he went crazy. He beat them both up, and I tried to get him to back off Marlon. He shoved me away easily, and then he got one of mom's liquor bottles and broke it. He stabbed Marlon with it, and then he came after me. By then his girl had ran out of our house screaming at the top of her voice.

'I ran into the kitchen and grabbed a knife. Dylan just laughed at me, like I wasn't going to do anything. I was shaking like a leaf, and he lunged at me. I tried to avoid him, but he came at me again. I tripped over a chair and he fell over me, right onto the knife. I got him in the gut, and I was so scared. I was crying like a little girl, and I tried to stop the bleeding with my hands…but it just kept flowing out." He gulped. " I'd never seen so much blood, not since my dad.

'Next thing I knew there were cops in our house, and they dragged me away, into one of their vehicles. The paramedics came soon afterwards. They took three people from our house. Mom, who was in a drunken stupor; and there was Dylan and Marlon. But Marlon's body was covered with a sheet. He was dead…I'd forgotten about him when I was trying to tend to Dylan…I'd forgotten about him, and he died."

Pauline did her best to hold Kev as tight as she could. He was shaking as he remembered that evening. He spoke in a rasp whisper. "Dylan got treatment, and then he was thrown into juvie. After turning eighteen he was to be transferred to some maximum security prison. Mom was thrown in prison too, but she died two years later. I was sent to an orphanage again. I was there till I was twelve, when Maeve and Chris took me in. I don't know why they kept me, coz I was a crap kid. I was rude, I was scary, I didn't talk to them or their family for the first three months that I was with them. But for some reason beyond my understanding, they didn't give up on me." He was quiet for a short while. "I just thank God they didn't give up on me. They changed my life." Kev then planted a kiss on his girlfriend's forehead. "You changed my life too," he said in a whisper.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Pauline had a naughty grin on her face. "Is that a hickey?"

"No," Abby said quickly as she tried to look convincing and brought her hand up to her neck. "It's a…mosquito bite."

"You've got some mean mosquitoes down in your hood, huh?" the Kenyan asked sarcastically with a laugh. She high fived the brown-haired boy seated on the other side of her best friend. "Go Hoagie!" she cheered. He smiled proudly as he draped his arm over his girlfriend's shoulders and softly rubbed his thumb against the bruise that he had caused. Abby reveled in his touch as she blinked a little longer than normal. "I suggest you get yourself a few cans of bug spray, if you know what I mean," Pauline continued, winking suggestively at the girl.

Abby smirked. "Oh, we've got that covered. Hoagie's mom has already hinted rather clearly that she's too young to be a grandma, so…" she trailed off, absent-mindedly doodling on her boyfriend's thigh with her index finger. She laughed as she remembered the mortified look on Hoagie's face when his mom had said that while the two had joined his family for dinner.

Just then Lizzie joined the trio at the table in the cafeteria. She was carrying a tray with two meals, one for herself and the other for Nigel. "Hi guys," she said with a warm smile on her face as she put down the tray. The three chorused their greeting in reply.

"And how are you, fair lady?" Abby asked as she picked a fry off of Lizzie's plate.

"I am good," the redhead replied with obvious relief as she sat down, "especially since I'm done with my classes for the week. My weekend starts…NOW," she added enthusiastically as she looked at her watch.

"Cool, lucky you," Abby said. Then turning to Pauline, she continued their previous conversation. "I hope you're taking your own advice, by the way?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"What…oh, yeah…definitely, I don't want any surprises," Pauline said with an exaggerated waggle of her index finger.

"And how's my homeboy, Kevie-Kev?" the African American asked.

Pauline sighed. "He's great–"

"I'm sure he is," Abby interjected with a smirk and a suggestive cock of the head.

"Hey!" Hoagie protested in mock anger. Abby turned to him and planted a kiss on his lips before brandishing her best smile at him. He couldn't help but laugh at her tactics. "Nice save," he said as he gave her another kiss.

"You two are just too cute. You might as well get married already," Lizzie said of the couple as she sauced her fries, and she received a high five from Pauline for her suggestion.

Drawing his girl closer to him, Hoagie whispered in her ear, "That is definitely on my to-do list."

Abby smirked. "It better be," she said as she gave him a playful nudge. She then turned to Pauline and smiled mischievously as she nodded her head. "*Mahanjam zinapanda," she said before the two girls burst into little fits of laughter.

"I can't believe that's what you brought with you from Kenya," Pauline said as she continued to laugh.

"What?" Lizzie asked in deep puzzlement in reference to the presumed gibberish she had just heard.

"Never mind them. They can be difficult to understand sometimes," Hoagie said as he eyed the two girls in amusement.

Wally and Kuki then came up the stairs, walking towards their friends. The blond passed behind Lizzie and ruffled her hair as he took a seat. She huffed in exasperation and turned to him as she tried to throw him a nasty look. He gave her a lopsided grin that erased her supposed anger, causing her to smile too. She adjusted her glasses and continued eating, not even bothering to make her hair look slightly less dishevelled, for she had learnt from experience that doing so would result in another hair ruffle.

"Bully!" Kuki accused her boyfriend, who turned to her and said, "Yeah, yes I am," before he proceeded to tickle her until she withdrew her accusation.

Hoagie addressed the redhead. "How is Eva doing, from your point of view?"

"I'd say she's doing pretty well, actually," she said as she bit into her burger. Hoagie nodded in response.

Ten minutes later Nigel walked up to the group and gave them a general wave. He came up to Lizzie and smoothed down her hair. "Seems to me you've just survived the attack of the killer Aussie," he said as he glowered pointedly at Wally, who glared back at him. The bald boy bent down and kissed his girl on the cheek. "He definitely likes you; he just has a funny way of showing it."

In the meantime, the two mocha skinned girls' conversation had taken a more serious note. "He told me about his family last night; his real family." Pauline moved closer to her friend as she continued in a hushed tone so that only Abby could hear, "Man, he had it rough as a kid." She went on to narrate his story, pausing every now and then to keep her emotions in check.

Abby locked her arm with Pauline's and inclined her head to hers. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said quietly. "At least his found some sort of peace now."

xxx

That evening as the roommates were walking back to their dorm together from the library, the bespectacled girl spoke. "Hoagie was asking about you today. He was wondering how you were doing."

Eva held her books closer to her chest as a feeling of warmth spread through her body. She smiled and tucked a red lock of hair behind her ear. "Trust him to be worried about me. He's just that kind of guy."

"Yeah, I told him you were good. You seem to be doing pretty well to me," Lizzie said as she deliberately stepped on dried leaves along the path. "You _are_ good, right? You're not hiding anything, are you?" she asked.

"Do I look like a mess to you?" When Lizzie shook her head, Eva continued. "Exactly, I'm alright. Hoagie doesn't have to worry about me so much. Things will soon go back to the way they were. We'll be happy together."

Lizzie looked up at her friend skeptically. "What do you mean?"

The stunningly beautiful redhead realized her mistake and quickly covered it up. "Nothing, I'm just saying that we'll soon go back to the way we were, you know, without the awkwardness."

"Oh, that would be great," Lizzie said with a smile. She knew that would definitely make her friend happier.

xxx

It was Friday, mid-morning, when David knocked on Genviéve's door. She had called him earlier that morning, and he was glad for it. It meant that she probably did want to try and see if they could work things out. He was feeling a bit anxious though. They hadn't made much of a breakthrough yet, and he had been in the US for a month already. Yes, he had apologised a million times. But sometimes that may never be enough. He heard the locks of the door being turned, and looked up in anticipation. He wasn't prepared for what he saw, though.

Genviéve opened the door and the second she laid eyes on him, she burst into tears. David was shocked, and although of late he had been very cautious about trying to touch her – not wanting to push her – he found himself automatically pull his black beauty into his embrace. He didn't know what was wrong, well, he sort of did. He was sure it had something to do with him, the whole affair. But the sudden onset of waterworks came as a surprise, especially because Genviéve had masked her emotions so well for the past month.

But, in fact, that's where the problem was. Genviéve had kept her sadness at bay for too long. Burying it in the darkest recesses of her mind, in the furthest corner of her heart, and really, she just couldn't take it anymore. Many times when David had come home she had felt on the verge of tears, but she could not allow herself to cry, because Jamie was always home. He was already so mad at his father, if she cried in her husband's presence she was not sure if her son would ever forgive David. He would probably blame his father for everything, and she truly just wanted to be a family again; somehow. And even if she and David may not be able to work things out, or be as they were before, she did not want that to ruin the relationship between him and their kids. Jamie was definitely taking the affair the hardest among all the children. And for that reason, she never cried, unless she was by herself in her room, at night, and was sure Jamie was dead asleep.

However, that morning Genviéve called David because she could not hold in her tears anymore. Her grief had reached its maximum threshold, and she just needed a good cry. Jamie was in school, so then would have been as good a time as any to release the pressure. And maybe, just maybe, shedding the last of her dignity before David may help her; help them. So she wept, she wept freely and bitterly into his chest as he held her close to him.

David felt his heart break for his wife. He knew exactly how she was feeling. Dear God, he knew exactly how she was feeling. And it was his fault. He betrayed himself; his principles. He remembered the promise he had made to himself decades ago. He head said he would never ever be a cheater. And now, decades later, he had proved his promise was nothing but words. He guided Genviéve into the living room as he shut the door. They sat on the sofa and he maintained silence as held her to him, resting his chin on the crown of her head.

Her voice broke when she finally spoke, her tears still cascading down her flushed cheeks. "You hurt me, David."

He swallowed a huge lump in his throat. "I know," he whispered.

"You hurt me, and I love you…it's why it hurts so much…*je t'aime. But I don't know if I can ever trust you again."

He sighed and held her even tighter as his voice broke too. "I know."

xxx

It was the final week of school, which meant every student worth their salt was busy memorising, cramming or doing whatever it took to stuff lots of info into their heads for their end of sem exams. So far the papers the KND group had done weren't too bad. Even Wally had no complaints, and that was saying something. The group had studied together, huddling in the library and revising their respective courses.

It was Thursday morning, and therefore the best day of the school semester for the couple because they were going to do their last papers that day, and finally get a break for a month before starting a new semester next spring. Abby and Hoagie had slept in an extra hour, half an hour of which was spent trying to convince each other to get out of bed. They obviously had not succeeded in their endeavour, as they kissed and cuddled and dozed off the whole time.

"Ok, seriously, we've got to get up," Abby said unconvincingly, not even opening her eyes as she spoke.

"Uh-uh," her boyfriend replied as he moved his hand from her waist to the small of her back and drew her closer to him. He planted a kiss on her forehead and then on her lips. "I like it here. It's warm."

"I know, but we gotta get up. Well, I've gotta get up. My paper is at one, and I wanna get to school by 11 – 11:30 so I can do some last minute studying," she said as she rose from the bed.

Hoagie groaned as he held on to her hand in futility, his eyes jammed shut. "Fine," he said in exasperation as he opened his eyes, squinting in the morning light. He threw the duvet aside and swung his legs over the edge of the bed as he moved to a sitting position. When Abby came round to his side of the bed he extended his arm and grabbed her hand, pulling her gently towards him. He held by the waist and brought her to stand between his legs as she leaned slightly into him. Being 'face to face' with her bare flat tummy, he kissed it, and her stomach muscles contracted involuntarily because her tummy was so sensitive to the touch. He then wrapped his arms around her slender waist and rested his head against her abdomen. "I'm tired," he said groggily. "Aren't you tired? Don't go," he said with a pout.

"I'd much rather be here with you, but…" she said as she broke free of his hold and tipped his head up so she could kiss him full on the mouth, "…I have to go." She walked off into the bathroom.

"I hate to see her go, but I love to watch her leave," he said as he watched her. She smirked and then swung her hips suggestively before popping her tush at him. He laughed as she shut the door behind her. Groaning, he scratched his head. "I need to study," he said as he grabbed a t-shirt that hang off a chair and wore it. He then reached for his spectacles case from the nightstand. Putting on his glasses, he walked into the living room where his books were as he shut the bedroom door behind him.

xxx

Abby grabbed her towel as she got out of the shower, feeling fresh and rejuvenated. She walked into the bedroom and got dressed. A few minutes later she exited her room as she made her way to the living room. She instantly felt sick to her stomach. Before her sat Hoagie, whose back was to her, with a gun pointed directly at him. Her eyes were wide as she saw Kensei standing in front of her boyfriend. His gaze shifted to her when she walked into the room. She had stopped dead in her tracks, and so he beckoned her to come to him. She walked slowly to him, fearing the worst. She didn't know if Hoagie was ok. From behind him she could only see the back of his head as he sat on the sofa, so she had no way of telling if he had been shot.

"Hoagie?" she called quietly and he turned his head slightly before Kensei waved his gun at him.

"I told you not to move. Please, don't tempt me," the young Japanese-looking man said as he smiled slightly. "Believe me when I say I would love to kill you." He then made a come hither gesture at the beautiful but frightened girl. "Hurry up!" he growled at her.

She walked faster to him and he grabbed her when she was within his reach. He held her in a one armed chokehold with her back to him. She could now look down at Hoagie. He was alright, thank God. She looked him over. He wasn't bleeding anywhere. He hadn't been shot. The lovers made eye contact, mesmerizing blue meeting coffee brown. Their eyes betrayed fear, but in Hoagie's there was anger too. When he spoke though, there was no anger, but desperation in his voice. "Please, let her go," he begged.

Kensei, whose gun was still trained on Hoagie, eyed the young man seated before him. He cocked his head slightly and scoffed. "Are you kidding me? I'm here for her. We are leaving together," he said as he held her tighter and she gasped.

"You're hurting her!" Hoagie said as he raised his voice and he started in his chair. As soon as he made the sudden movement, there was a quiet 'thup' as Kensei pressed the trigger of his silenced gun. "Argh," the brown haired boy groaned as a piercing pain spread in his shoulder. He heard Abby begin to let out a scream before she was quickly hushed by a nozzle to the temple. She watched in horror as blood trickled out of Hoagie's left shoulder. He brought his right hand up to it as he applied pressure. When he looked up Abby saw the same murderous eyes she had seen on him when Hoagie had fought Kensei. He fought against his anger as he tried to control the tremor in his voice. "Please, don't hurt her."

"Shut up." _Who the hell does this kid think he is?_ "You're in no position to make requests or demands. I don't give a shit about you," Kensei said as he pointed the gun at Hoagie once again. He began to move back, dragging Abby along with him. She had her hands on his arm as she tried to loosen the vice-like grip he had on her so that she could breathe easier. "Now don't move, or else the next bullet will puncture your heart."

Hoagie watched helplessly as his girl and Kensei walked out the door. As soon as the door was shut from the outside he ran at it and without thinking, opened it.

Kensei laughed. "Do you have a death wish, buddy?" he asked. The younger man had found himself face to face with the wrong end of a gun. Hoagie stood still and raised his arms in surrender. He swallowed. "Get back in the bloody house!" The stalker commanded.

Hoagie took one agonizing step after another as he saw the distance between him and the love of his life become bigger and bigger. He looked at her and fear and sadness filled his heart. She was trying to be as brave as ever. Her tears flowed silently down her cheeks as watched him retreat. She extended her arm towards him a little bit, and was repaid for her action with a tighter chokehold. Hoagie knew then that the situation was grim. _This man is mad,_ he thought. He wasn't sure what would happen; if either he or his girl would make it out of this alive. So he went out on a limb and said what was on his mind. "I love you Abby. I always will."

*Thup*

"NO!" Abby screamed as she watched Hoagie double over. "No no no," she cried as she tried to break free of Kensei's grasp. He knocked the side of her head with the butt of his gun, and everything went black.

**xxx**

**Author's note:**

***Mahanjam zinapanda** is Sheng (Kenyan slang) used to express 'to be turned on'. So Abby was implying that Kev totally turns Pauline on, but it's kinda crude, and hence the laughter. (They are naughty girls).

***Je t'aime **is French for 'I love you'. I know about this much French = The space between the bars of the equals sign is equivalent to the space between my thumb and index finger as I say I know 'this much' French.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

A neighbor had heard a scream before quiet was suddenly restored. He opened his door just a crack and peeked through the space, but nothing out of the ordinary caught his eye although he did hear somebody hurriedly bounding down the stairs. The black middle aged man then stepped out of his apartment, walking carefully down the hallway and stopped abruptly when he looked into the apartment to his right whose door was ajar. His eyes were wide with shock before he regained control of his senses and ran in. Inside laid a young, fairly built man on the floor, bleeding from his stomach and shoulder. The neighbor crouched beside the injured man and tried to rouse him.

"Hey, hey?" he called as he lightly slapped Hoagie's face.

The brown haired boy stirred and opened his eyes. He raised his head and looked up at his neighbor. He was familiar, but Hoagie didn't know his name. He tried to lift his arm to hold the forty-something year old by the shoulder, but he lacked the strength and his arm fell. He then tried to speak, but he coughed instead. Finally he managed to say weakly, "My-my girlfriend…Abby…please..." He broke off as his head fell back in exhaustion. He had lost a lot of blood, his body soaked as he lay in his deep crimson pool.

"What? What are you trying to tell me?" The neighbor asked. He did not receive a response, for the speaker had lost consciousness. The middle aged man quickly removed his cell phone from his pocket and dialed 911 as he wondered why he hadn't done so a minute earlier. The man before him was so pale, what if that minute he wasted would cost him his life?

Immediately after giving their residential address and hanging up, the neighbor checked the boy's neck for a pulse. He let out a sigh of relief when he felt one. It wasn't very strong, but it was there. He then saw a cell phone on the couch, and he went to it. He took it and pressed the redial button. As he waited for the person on the other end to pick up, he heard a phone ringing somewhere. His eyes shifted to the bedroom as he rose to his feet and walked cautiously to it. He poked his head through the door and saw a cell phone on the bed. He decided to end the call and wait – wait to see if the phone on the bed would stop ringing. It did. The man grunted in frustration. He looked back at the young man on the floor before walking into the bedroom and pulling the blanket off the bed. He went back into the living room and covered the injured boy with it. He looked cold; his lips were blue.

Just then, he heard the siren of an ambulance in the distance. He ran to the windows and looked outside as he waited for the noisy vehicle to cruise down the street and pull up next to the building. When he spotted the ambulance, he went back to Hoagie and crouched beside him. "It's ok buddy. Help is here."

xxx

Abby slowly opened her eyes. She was in a living room; a nice living room with a big screen TV and beautiful yet simple furniture. She tried to sit up but one side of her head suddenly began to throb, so she lay down again. She then made an attempt to lift her right hand so that she could touch her aching head, only to realize that her hand had been chained to the wall. She looked at her cuffed hand and followed the fairly long chain to the wall. She tried in vain to pull at the chain, hoping to pull it out of the wall, but it was hopeless. It wouldn't budge, and she didn't feel like she had much strength either.

Her mind was a little hazy as she continued to look at her surroundings. Then it hit her; memories of earlier that morning came to her frame by frame, the last of which showed Hoagie doubling over in pain as blood spread through his t-shirt. "Oh no," she cried softly.

Her heart began to pound loudly in her ears as fear and adrenaline raced through her system. With renewed vigour, she tried to pull the chain out of the wall, stepping against it to gain leverage. Of course, nothing happened, and she cursed loudly in frustration. She brought her hands to her face as she felt tears threatening to spill. "Please be ok…please be ok," she chanted under her breath as she thought of her boyfriend.

Just then her captor walked into the room. He seemed very surprised to find her awake, although he was clearly pleased. He gave her a charming smile, and she could not believe someone as innocent-looking as him could do what he had done. "Abby, you're awake. I'm glad. Can I get you something to eat?"

She glowered at him and ignored his question. "What did you do with Hoagie?"

He arched his brow and shrugged. "That kid? Hmph, nothing…I left him on the floor."

A tear rolled down her cheek. Hoagie could have bled out by now. How long had it been since this nightmare began anyway? She looked down at her watch; 11:17 a.m. It was about 9:30 when she had come out of the shower, so about two hours since Hoagie was shot. All she could do was hope that he had managed to get help before anything serious happened.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked in despair as she tried to hold back her tears.

Kensei felt as though he was being accused of something. He looked her in the eye as he replied. "What do you mean 'why am I doing this'? I did this for you…for us. I love you, and you belong to me."

Abby's eyes grew big as she stared at him in disbelief. _This guy seriously believes what he is saying, _she thought bemusedly. _Shit! _She tried a different approach. "If you really love me, you wouldn't chain me to the wall."

He narrowed his small eyes at her and looked at her for a long moment before he slowly crossed the room and walked to her. He sat beside her on the chaise lounge he had bought specifically for her as she brought her knees up to her chest. He brought his hand up to her face, cupping it before gently touching the bruise on the temple where he had knocked her unconscious with his gun. She winced in pain and he quickly withdrew his hand.

He then got up and she watched him leave the room as he disappeared into the hallway. Abby lay back down and rested her head on the headrest in defeat. She hugged herself then immediately moved her right arm away from her torso; the chain was cold to the touch. She looked around the room again as her mind went to Hoagie. She was afraid for him; more afraid for him than she was for herself. Maybe she could get out of this, whenever that would be. But if her boyfriend wouldn't find help soon, he may not make it. She was afraid.

She then heard the hum of an engine as a vehicle came to a stop near the house. It was then that she realized she was in a house. A well furnished house. Not a basement or a warehouse or something of that sort. A house – meaning she may be within the earshot of a pedestrian. Or even a neighbor. It then dawned on her to scream. And so she did. "HELP, HEEEELP! SOMEBODY? ANYBODY?"

Kensei ran back into the room. He was furious. He removed his gun from his waist and pointed it at her as he dropped some antiseptic and band aids he was carrying in the other hand to the floor. "Be quiet!" he bellowed.

But she continued to scream, for she was sure this man could not hurt her. Threaten her? Yes, definitely. But hurt her? She highly doubted it. Not if he was as in love with her as he claimed. So she continued to scream.

The biracial man cocked his gun. It still had the silencer. Before Abby knew what was happening, she felt a pain shoot through her left arm, and immediately ceased her screaming. She looked down at her upper arm and saw blood oozing out of it. It was a superficial wound. The bullet had just nicked Abby's arm as Kensei had intended. He was a damn good shot and he knew it. He made sure to give her a superficial injury that wouldn't require medical attention, but would be enough to scare her.

Abby raised her head to look at him. She was wrong. This guy could do anything to her, and she was scared. She jumped when he approached her and sat beside her. "Don't do that again," he spoke gently. "I really don't want to hurt you." He got up and picked the antiseptic bottle and band aid that was on the ground. He removed cotton balls from his pocket, and after dipping it in the antiseptic he cleansed her wounds – the new one on her arm and the older one on her head where there was a cut on the swelling caused by the gun. He then put the band aid on her head, and walked out of the room. He returned shortly with a bandage which he wrapped around her arm. When he was done he gave her a little kiss to the temple and walked into the kitchen to get her something to eat.

xxx

Hoagie lay unconscious in a hospitable bed as he convalesced post-op. His surgery had gone smoothly. The wound in his shoulder had been a through and through. The wound in the gut was the one that had been more difficult to sort out. The bullet was lodged deep in his tissue, and it had perforated his small intestine on its way there. Luckily the surgeons were more than capable of dealing with his injuries.

It was lunch time, but Nigel had lost his appetite. He was much too worried to feel the need to eat, let alone remember that he ought to. He had been called earlier, immediately after he had walked out of the exam room. The name 'Hoagie' had been displayed on the screen. He answered expecting to hear his friend's voice. Instead, he heard a panicked unfamiliar voice explaining to him that a brown haired fellow who was assumed to be the Brit's friend had been shot, and was currently on his way to Greensteads hospital. Before Nigel could ask or say anything, the other guy hang up for the cops had just come into the house to interrogate him.

The young bald man now sat beside his friend, with lots of questions running through his head. He had earlier dialed Abby's number, but there was no answer. He figured she was doing a paper as well, not remembering that the girl usually had class at 1:20 p.m., not earlier. He wondered what he would tell her when he finally got in touch with her; how he would break the news that her boyfriend was lying in a hospital bed. Nigel's mind then rearranged his thoughts, and he instead wondered how Hoagie had landed in this situation in the first place.

He sighed audibly as he clasped his hands together and moved to rest his elbows on his knees. He looked down at the ground and chewed the inside of his cheeks in frustration. He looked at Hoagie, his eyes following the IV line from its reservoir to his arm. There was an oxygen mask covering his face. Nigel then got up and stood beside his friend. "You've got to get better," he whispered as he placed a hand on Hoagie's uninjured shoulder before walking out into the corridor to make a call to their friends.

xxx

"He's waking up," Kuki whispered urgently to the other visitors in the room as Hoagie's eyes slowly fluttered open. His eyes were lightly glazed over with sleep and anesthesia. His gaze fell upon the worried faces of Nigel, Lizzie, Kuki, Wally and Pauline. He tried to speak but his throat was too dry.

"Don't push yourself, mate," Wally advised as Kuki brought him a glass of water with a straw in it.

The brown haired boy removed his oxygen mask and took a sip of his water. The cold liquid travelling down his throat felt so good. He drank about half the glass before trying to speak again. "Abby…" he said with a slightly hoarse voice as he tried to sit up. Kuki pinned him down and gave him a stern look when he pushed her hand away.

"Abby's not here," Nigel said as he went and stood at his friend's bedside. "I haven't managed to get a hold of her yet." The Briton was sure Abby had been studying earlier, and hence had put her phone on silent. She was probably in the exam room right then.

Hoagie shook his head and stuttered as he replied. "He t-took her." He gave a dry and painful sounding cough.

"Who took her?" Pauline asked in alarm.

Hoagie's breath came in short spurts as his heart began to race. "Kensei…he took her…" The equipment began to beep faster in time with his rapid heart rate. A nurse quickly came running into the room to check his vitals.

"Calm down, sir. You have to calm down," she insisted. Then turning to the worried lot she asked them to leave. They stood their ground defiantly as they looked at their bedridden friend who was trying to get up.

"Sir, you must not get up!" she said forcefully."

Hoagie gave her an exasperated look before setting his gaze beyond her. "Please find her," he begged them. They nodded so that he could calm down. Upon receiving their reassurance to look for Abby, Hoagie's heart rate began to normalize.

Just then a policeman walked into the room. When the nurse laid eyes on him she glowered. "Not now!" she hissed. "The patient still needs to recover."

"Sorry ma'am, I'm just doing my job," he said nonchalantly as he removed a pen and notepad from his breast pocket. "Can you tell me what happened?" he asked in a surprisingly gently tone. Hoagie went on to tell him what had transpired earlier. "What?" he asked in shock. "He took your girlfriend?" _Shit, _he cursed inwardly. Nearly five and a half hours had passed since Abby was abducted. She could be anywhere by now. A search perimeter would have a huge geographical radius by then. _Shit! _

xxx

Lizzie walked into her dorm looking thoroughly knocked down by life. She liked Hoagie. He was among the most likeable of Nigie's friends. And yet there he lay in a hospital bed. She felt really sorry for him. Abby was missing. That was even scarier than Hoagie being in hospital. At least with the good natured boy they knew he was alright. As for Abby…

She crossed the room and went to her bed. She threw herself on the soft mattress and bounced slightly before choosing to lie on her back. She needed to eat, and she was quite sure there was nothing to eat in that room. She wished Eva was there; Hoagie's ex would have easily whipped up something nice for them.

As if her desire had just been granted, Eva walked into the room looking very happy and chilled out. The redhead looked at her bespectacled friend. "What's up with you?" she asked as she putdown her large handbag and went to sit next to Lizzie.

"It's terrible. Abby's been kidnapped," Lizzie said sadly.

"What? That's…horrible. Gosh, how's Hoagie taking it?" Eva asked, trying to feign shock.

"He's in the hospital."

"What?" Eva asked, genuinely shocked this time around. "What's wrong with him?"

"He was shot. Twice! He's stable, but he has to stay in hospital for a couple of days for observation."

_What the hell?_ "That son-of-a-bitch," she said crossly. Lizzie was taken aback by her friend's reaction as she watched her pace around the room nervously. "Shit!" she screamed all of a sudden. "He promised me that he wouldn't hurt him," she said quietly to herself.

However, Lizzie had heard what she had said, and she stared at Eva in disbelief. "Please don't tell me you're involved in this," she said in a bewildered tone. Her friend turned her head to look at her, doing so in slow motion as she realised she had though out loud. "Are you kidding me?" Lizzie asked as her temper rose. "How the hell can you do such a thing?" Eva did not reply. She was too pissed off at Kensei to care about Lizzie's accusation. "Where is she?" the slightly chubby girl asked.

Instead of replying, Eva picked up her handbag and fished for her car keys. She grasped them in her hand and walked out the door. "Dammit Eva, where is Abby?" Lizzie screamed, following her towards the car park. The bespectacled girl made a grab for her friend's arm. "Eva!"

The girl turned and shoved Lizzie. "I don't know where she is, alright? This wasn't supposed to happen. Hoagie wasn't supposed to get hurt." She continued to walk before adding, "Abby will be fine. But I need to see Hoagie." She got into her car and drove away, leaving Lizzie standing in the nearly empty parking lot as she watched her go.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

When she walked into his hospital room, Hoagie was asleep. The nurse had been kind to let Eva see him, for visiting hours had just ended – she was allowed five minutes with him. Eva moved closer to her ex, taking in his appearance. He looked so…unlike him, with the IV and other wires connected to him. She felt a tear sting her eye, and it fell before she could stop it. This was all her fault; that much she knew. But it wasn't supposed to be like that. That's not what should have happened. Kensei was simply supposed to kidnap Abby – discreetly even – and then she would show up and tend Hoagie's broken heart. Before he'd realize it, he'd be falling for her all over again. The auburn haired girl gingerly brought her hand to his face and cupped it. She bent towards him and planted a little kiss on his dry, chapped lips. She hovered over him for a moment, and he began to stir.

"A–Abs, Abby?" he called drowsily.

Eva swallowed hard, and the lump in her throat felt extraordinarily large and particularly bitter at the mention of that girl's name. She stood up straight and laughed humorlessly. _Even now she still haunts me, _she thought as she looked down at the slowly awakening boy.

As Hoagie opened his eyes, his pupils adjusted their size as they tried to put the person before him into focus. He smiled when he recognized her. "Eva," he said quietly. "Hi."

She smiled back and felt her tears fall again as she gave a choked out laugh. "Hi. How are you feeling?"

"I…feel like crap." He replied as he shut his eyes. "Thanks for coming," he said, his eyes still closed.

"Of course I'd be here," she said as she brought her hand to his face again. The action caused him to smile, or was it what she had just said? She wasn't sure. She looked into his eyes when he opened them, and she saw tears welling in them. "Hoagie?" she said quietly, alarmed.

"He took Abby. The guy who shot me, he took her. What if…" he trailed off as he began to sob. He might not have been so emotional if he was talking to someone else. But this was Eva, his ex. They used to be close, so he could be himself and not care; as himself as he could be anyway. He definitely was 'more' himself with Abby, but Eva was the next closest substitute, figuratively speaking.

"Shh," Eva said as she bent over to give him a hug as best she could given he was lying down. "It'll be ok. She'll be ok," she said so convincingly even she might have believed herself.

"You don't know that. If he could do this to me, what can he do to her? Abby isn't going to let him have his way with her if he wanted, God forbid." He was quiet for a moment. "I'm scared Eva. If something happens to her…" he gulped, "…I dunno what I'll do…I can't be without her…I just can't."

"You can be ok without her, you know. It won't be easy but–"

"No," he said forcefully. "I have no life without her. She has to be ok. If something happens to her I might just die," he said as he gently pushed her away from him. He sighed deeply as he wiped away his tears with the back of his hand. He gave a choked laugh. "Sorry. Bet you never thought you'd see me in a whiney position."

She looked down at him and nodded slowly. "Yeah, you can say that." _So he'd rather die than be without her. And when I said I was gonna die when he left me he said I was being stupid? _She let out her breath audibly. "You really love Abby, huh?"

He nodded and pressed his hands to his face as he got rid of the last of his tears. "She…completes me," he said as his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "Ow ow ow," he hissed as he brought his hand to his abdomen.

"What's wrong?" Eva asked in alarm as she came closer to him again.

"Stings a little," he said in reference to his bullet wound. "I think the drugs are wearing off."

"Should I get a nurse?"

"Nah," he said with a wince that betrayed him. "It'll be ok. I just wanna get out of here and find Abby."

"Just concentrate on getting better, and let the cops deal with finding her, ok? OK?" she pressed when he didn't answer. He nodded with a pout. "Good. You rest now. I'll call a nurse for you." She bent and kissed him on the cheek.

As she walked towards the door she felt her ears prick and stopped when Hoagie called out, "Eva." She turned around. "Thanks, for everything."

She bit her bottom lip and nodded. She continued to the door and spoke under her breath. "Right."

xxx

David woke up very early the next morning. Technically, it was still night. The digital clock on the nightstand displayed 3:15, yet he was up. But really, it felt like he hadn't even slept. As he continued to lie in bed he turned his head to the right to look upon the sleeping figure of Genviéve. She had called him late the previous night, crying hysterically. He had not understood most of what she was said, but he managed to decipher the words 'Abby', 'missing' and 'gunshots' from her French-laden hysteric speech. That scared the heck out of him, and he had quickly grabbed a jacket and jumped into the taxi closest to the hotel entrance.

When he got to his wife's place she jumped into his arms and wept bitterly. Jamie had been seated quietly on the couch as he watched his parents embrace. He looked stunned, not by them in particular, but probably because of what had got his mom crying so much. David led her into her bedroom where he let her cry as much as she could before pressing her for more information.

Once she could speak, Genviéve had recounted how Nigel and the other kids had come by her house. Their faces were melancholy, and she automatically knew something was wrong, and with whom, given that both Abby and Hoagie were missing from the group.

…

"What's wrong?" she had asked with trepidation before she even invited the kids over the threshold. Pauline had then walked into the house and held her by the arm, directing her towards one of the kitchen stools. Mrs. Lincoln swallowed a lump as she looked at the young Kenyan's sympathetic face, and she braced herself for whatever would be said. As the other kids came into the kitchen, Nigel spoke.

"I'm sorry…Abby was kidnapped this morning."

Genviéve gasped. "What do you mean kidnapped?" she asked, her accent suddenly becoming much stronger than usual in her state of alarm. Before he could answer, she shot him another question as she rose to her feet. "And why I'm I only finding out about this now if it happened this morning?"

"W-We didn't know she was missing, Miss, Mrs. Lincoln," Wally replied somewhat timidly.

"We only found out this afternoon after Hoagie woke up. He's in the hospital," added Kuki.

Mrs. Lincoln's eyes grew wide. "Qu'est-ce que c'est? W-What, why what's wrong with him?"

"He was shot ma'am, by the kidnapper. He shot Hoagie so that he could escape with Abby," said Pauline.

"No!" Mrs. Lincoln brought her hands to her mouth in shock. "Is he ok?"

The group of friends nodded, and she felt relieved but just for an instant. Just then Jamie, who had been listening in on them from inside his bedroom walked into the kitchen. "And where's this guy, the kidnapper? Who is he? Are the cops even out looking for my sister?" he harshly asked the group of young adults.

"The cops know. They're trying to find her," Nigel reassured.

"The kidnapper is my cousin," Kuki said. "I…I'm sorry," she added with her head hang low. "This is my fault," she said quietly.

"What?" Wally and Genviéve asked simultaneously. "You were not responsible for his kidnapping Abigail," Mrs. Lincoln said.

"Yeah, it's not like he told you what he was planning to do, did he?" Wally asked as he looked into her eyes. Kuki shook her head in response. "So don't blame yourself," the Aussie added as he held his girlfriend close to him.

Looking around in a sort of a daze, Mrs. Lincoln said, "I need to tell your father, Jamie."

"Why? He doesn't–"

Mrs. Lincoln cut off her son. "He is your father, Jamie," she said with a raised voice. "No matter what is going on between us, he deserves to know about this. Now…please bring me my phone," she yelled as her tears began to flow down her cheeks. Turning to the group before her, she addressed them again. "Did the kidnapper want any money? What does he want from us so that he can release Abby?"

"I'm afraid he just wants Abby," Nigel said quietly. "He is 'in love' with her."

The group of young adults then excused themselves when Jamie handed his mom her cell phone. But before Pauline followed the rest of her friends out the door, she approached Mrs. Lincoln. "I'm really sorry about this," she said as she gave the distraught woman's hand a firm squeeze.

"I know," Genviéve said with a sniff.

Lowering her voice, Pauline added in barely a whisper, "Hoagie wanted me to tell you he's really sorry about this too."

Mrs. Lincoln couldn't help but laugh a little bit. "Silly boy. He got shot. He obviously tried to protect Abby."

…

Once David had calmed her down and tried to reassure her that everything would be ok, he let go of Genviéve as he rose from her bed. It was late, but he was sure he could still find a cab. He cupped his wife's face. "I'll go down to the station tomorrow to find out what progress they've made, ok?" She nodded. "I'll get in touch with you as soon as possible. Now try to get some sleep," he instructed. He withdrew his hand from her face and turned to leave, but he was stopped by a tug on his jacket. He looked down at her hand on his jacket before shifting his gaze to her face.

"Stay here…with me," she asked quietly as her eyes swam in fresh tears.

How could he deny her request?

xxx

Kuki could not sleep that night. Her heart was so heavy with guilt she felt like she might suffocate. Her heart beat would be erratic from time to time, and she would have to work on breathing exercises to get air into her lungs appropriately and thus prevent hyperventilating. She was glad Wally was asleep for she knew he would worry about her. That was not the time to worry about her; their best friend was in the clutches of her brother. Their location? Totally unknown. It could be days, maybe even weeks before the cops can find them. Kuki was afraid to imagine what Kensei might be doing to Abby at that very moment.

The young Asian sat up suddenly as she thought about her aunt. Maybe Aunt Suzuka might have heard from Kensei, or maybe she might know something that could help find Abby. _Gah, how could I have been so dumb? _Kuki wondered. _I should have gone straight home from the hospital to see her._ "Dammit," she swore loudly enough to wake her boyfriend who had been asleep beside her. Kuki had been so down when they got to campus from Mrs. Lincoln's that the blond had insisted on staying with her to keep her company. He had promised to be quiet if silence is what she was craving.

"Wh-what's up babe?" Wally asked drowsily as he saw the seated silhouette of his girlfriend in the darkness. He propped himself up on his shoulders and spoke again when she didn't respond. "Kuks?" She turned her head to face him but she remained quiet. Now the Aussie sat up too. "Babe, what's the matter?" he asked as he raised his brow.

"I can't sleep. I feel like I should be doing something more constructive than sleep. She's out there…and she's all alone. She must be so scared."

"I know," he said empathetically, "but there's only so much we can do. And we do need to sleep so that we can be alert in the morning…so we can think things through." Wally wrapped his arm around her waist. "Don't beat yourself up, ok? There's nothing you or any of us can do right now."

Kuki sniffed as her sorrow and guilt bubbled to the surface. "It's because of me that nothing can be done," she said as she rested her head against his shoulder. "If I had done what was necessary none of this would have happened. If I wasn't such a scaredy-cat…" she let out a sigh.

"What are you talking about?" Wally asked with concern.

Kuki began to hyperventilate as she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. She gasped as her lungs stung due to a lack of air, and Wally quickly got out from under the covers and knelt before her, holding her firmly by the shoulders.

"Kuki!" his voice was stern. "Listen to me," he said as he tried to make out her face in the darkness, his green eyes roaming from side to side. "Breathe!" he ordered, and brought his hands to either side of her neck. "Follow my rhythm, ok?" he asked as he breathed out audibly at regular intervals so that she could imitate him.

Her hair was falling down on either side of her face and it trapped heat like a thick veil. She could feel beads of sweat form on her forehead, under her hair on her scalp, on her neck and even on her chest. Kuki's eyes were bulging and tears ran down her face before she heard Wally bark an order at her.

"Breathe, dammit!"

He breathed out audibly again, as he grabbed her hand desperately and brought it to his lips so that he could breathe onto it, hoping that she would follow his rhythm as she felt the damp air on her hand. It seemed to work. Kuki's wheezes began to die down as she held onto his hand for dear life.

"That's it," he encouraged as he continued to breathe audibly for her to follow.

They worked on that exercise for another two minutes until her breathing was back to normal. She collapsed against Wally, and he held her as he placed is chin on her head. "You're ok," he whispered as she began to cry into his chest. "You're ok."

"He r-raped me. If I told my dad…they would have been sent away…and Kensei wouldn't have been here today to take Abby…It's my fault…"

"Shit," he swore under his breath. "Shh," Wally soothed as he stroked Kuki's damp hair. "It's not your fault. Your actions have nothing to do with what he did." He held his girlfriend even tighter in an attempt to comfort her. "I love you," he whispered as he planted a kiss on the crown of her head. "This is not your fault." Deep down Wally cursed himself for having vouched for Kensei. It's no wonder Kuki had been upset whenever he did so. He then remembered what Hoagie had said some time back – 'I just don't trust him…I've got my reasons…'

_Shit, Abby's in trouble._


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

David sat in a busy office as he waited to see the police officer who was in charge of Abby's case. He had been waiting for five minutes already, and was starting to grow impatient. He had his jacket in his hand, folded neatly. It was his favourite jacket. Genviéve had loved it the second she saw it, and so it quickly went higher up his 'best apparel' list. He decided to put it on, and as he did so his nose caught a whiff of his wife's fragrance. It wasn't very strong, but it was unmistakable. It must have been laced with her scent when he comforted her the previous night. It was a wonderful scent; a familiar scent. Mr. Lincoln began to quietly tap his foot against the ground as he looked around the vast hall at some of the officers dealing with paperwork at their desks as his mind jumped two and a half decades into the past.

After he had found his girl with his best friend, David did nothing but concentrate on his course work. _To hell with those two, _he had thought. He made sure to stay away from where they used to frequent. If he ever saw them again, it would be too soon. Thankfully he only had two more semesters to go, and then he could begin his internship at a hospital of his choosing. Young Lincoln knew once he left that damned campus it would be so much easier to forget about the betrayal.

About a month after the incident David had been standing in line at the campus cafeteria at the beginning of a new semester as he waited to buy his lunch. That day the line was unusually long because the service was slow. There were about twenty students standing ahead of him, and there were many more behind him. He moved to the side slightly so he could see what the hold up was at the counter. He could see that the cashier seemed a bit clueless about the workings of his cash register, and he was being given the know how by a more experienced work study student.

David let out a frustrated sigh and run his hand through his curly hair, spoiling the small fro he had tried so hard to shape earlier. The student standing directly in front of him turned around to face him as he got back into line. She was a bit more than a head shorter than him, with a petite figure. She wore big silver loops in her ears and had a purple scarf wrapped around her head like an Alice band, her thick dark wavy hair held back and falling over it to just above her shoulders. She looked up at him with wide intelligent dark brown eyes, and he suddenly felt self conscious under her gaze. He smiled shyly and looked away from her at the students who were seated and enjoying their lunch.

"Excuse me?" the mocha skinned girl said to him, and he turned his head to look down at her. "Would you mind holding this space for me? I really need to…go somewhere," she added as she said the last few words rather hesitantly.

"Uh," he looked at the length of the line before them. "Sure," he said slowly in his baritone voice when he felt she would be back before her turn. She smiled gratefully and left the line as she went towards the exit of the cafeteria only to turn into the restrooms.

_Wow, _David thought as he watched her go. She was a really pretty girl. He had never seen her before. "Must be a freshman," he said under his breath as he took a step forward, the line making some slight progress. He never recognized the freshmen. Chuck, he was something else. He always knew them, the girls anyway. He would even know if they had joined in the spring, summer or fall semester. But Dave never had the interest to know the new ladies. He only had eyes for one lady. _Too bad it didn't work out with her, _he thought bitterly.

A couple of minutes later the female student returned. "Thank you," she said nasally with a smile as she got back into line. Dave smiled and nodded slightly. He didn't trust himself to speak. He had always been kind of shy around the ladies anyway. _But wow, she has a really sexy accent. What is she, French?_ He nodded to himself. _Yeah, probably French._

David Lincoln was brought out of his reverie by a tall, lean Caucasian man dressed in a navy blue uniform with three inverted chevrons displayed across his chest. He wore his ginger hair closely cropped. In his right hand he carried a folder which he transferred to his left so that he could extend his hand in greeting. "Mr. Lincoln?" he asked with his brow arched.

"Yes," Dave said as he shook the man's hand.

"I'm Sergeant Brady. Please come with me," the policeman instructed as he went towards his desk. He then gestured for David to sit as he walked around his desk and took his own seat. "First of all I'd like to say that I am very sorry about your daughter. I can assure you that we are doing everything in our power to find her."

Nodding, Dave thanked him. "But," he asked, "why were we not informed about the kidnapping as soon as it happened? My wife had to find out from my daughter's friends."

Gesticulating wildly, the police officer apologised. "I am sorry. The officer who questioned the gunshot victim is a rookie. I suppose in his eagerness to work on the case and find your daughter, he must have overlooked that step." He looked sincerely contrite. He cleared his desk of the messy papers as best he could while the secretary brought him his coffee. "Thanks Marge," he said as she put it in a vacant spot on his desk.

He then removed two papers from the folder he had been carrying earlier and handed them to Mr. Lincoln. As David looked at them he saw the image of a young biracial boy. He figured the boy must be about nineteen/twenty years old. The other paper had an image of the same boy, but it was a sketch and the boy looked older. Dave lifted his gaze to the cop expectantly.

"That is the guy who kidnapped your Abigail. My officers questioned his mom yesterday. She doesn't know where he is. She said he had moved house recently, but she doesn't know where to –"

"How is that possible?" David asked with slight agitation. "How can his own mother not know where he is?"

Sergeant Brady raised his hands in sympathy. "The fellow has been trouble for a long time. Dealing drugs and suspected of running a prostitution ring. He's someone who would not like his whereabouts known," he said as he scratched the nape of his neck. Pointing at the papers in Mr. Lincoln's hands, he added, "That was the latest photograph she had of her son. The other is a sketch drawn from descriptions given by his family. We are going to distribute those images to the TV networks in hopes that someone may have seen him."

Rising slightly from his chair, David removed his wallet from his back pocket and extracted a passport sized photo of Abby. "Here," he said as he handed the photo to Brady, "this is Abby. Could you put this on the air as well?"

"Of course."

With nothing more to discuss, Mr. Lincoln left, feeling certain that the cops were definitely handling his daughter's disappearance with priority.

xxx

"I need to go to the bathroom," Abby said vilely.

Kensei scoffed. "Don't be like that," he said in reference to her not-so-homey attitude. He walked to her and uncuffed her wrist. "Don't be long, or your breakfast will get cold."

She gave him a brief glance before heading for the bathroom. She shut the door behind her without bothering to lock the door, for she had learnt from previous experience that there was no key. She guessed that it was just in case she decided to lock herself in and scream to high heaven for help. After relieving herself and flushing the toilet, she put down the seat cover and sat on it. She needed to find a way out of the damned house. She looked around the room for anything that could be of use. She raised her gaze to the windows above her through which sunlight was pouring in. If she could find something to climb she could have reached their level and broken them and then she could be free. But as she continued to look up at them she realized that there were security bars on the outside. "Argh, man," she said in annoyance when her best idea went up in smoke.

There was a sudden impatient knock on the door. "Abby, don't make me come in there!"

"I'm coming!" she called back. She walked to the sink and washed her hands and then her face. She sighed. This was day two and she was no closer to escaping or even knowing where the hell she was. She hadn't had the opportunity to get close to a window and look outside. Last night Kensei had not left her alone. Instead of sleeping in his room he brought a mattress and his blankets to the living room where he slept as she tried to do the same with the discomfort of having her arm chained to the wall.

The door was opened roughly, bringing Abby's thoughts back to the present. Kensei did not look happy. "Get out here!" he ordered. She walked past him and headed slowly into the living room; her room of residence.

"What are you gonna do with me?" she asked. "I mean, what do you hope to accomplish? You realize that the cops must be out looking for me, right?" When he did not respond, she did not press him. She looked at the meal on the table. It smelt great, and she _was _hungry. He had made fried eggs, toast and had served baked beans. There was tea as well. Abby could not remember the last time she had drunk tea. Coffee was always her beverage of choice.

Kensei then grabbed her by the arm and led her back to the chaise lounge so that he could chain her up. "Hey hey hey," she protested. "Seriously, you're gonna chain me up again? How I'm I supposed to eat?"

"Didn't stop you yesterday," he said brazenly.

She sighed and gave him a pleading look. "Please? I'd enjoy the meal better…" she trailed off.

"Fine," he replied and pushed her down on the lounge before pushing the table closer to her. He sat opposite her on the floor as they partook of their breakfast. Abby took her time as she savoured the meal. She slowly looked around the room. That had been the longest that she had been uncuffed since she got there. If she could just find something to use as a weapon against him…

"Do you like your breakfast?" he asked when he saw the distant look in her eyes.

She was startled by his sudden question. "Yes," she said as she nodded vigorously. She then turned her attention to the TV in front of them. It was tuned to a local station that was broadcasting its morning news show. When it went to a commercial, Kensei rose from the floor and stretched his limbs to get rid of the slight cramp in his legs.

"Want some juice?" he asked with a cocked brow. Abby nodded again, and he took their used plates to the kitchen where he placed them into the sink. He walked to the fridge and removed a packet of orange juice. Just as he was about to get a glass from the cabinet, his cell phone began to ring. He had forgotten it in his room the previous night.

As he disappeared into the corridor, Abby, who had been discreetly watching him the whole time quickly got to her feet and ran quietly into the kitchen. She unsheathed a knife from its wooden stand and then peeped into the corridor. She could hear Kensei talking into the phone. She ran to the front door and tried to unlock the door. There were three dead bolts that she had to turn, and she did so at an agonizingly slow pace so that they did not make a sound. Her heart was in her throat. If Kensei came back into the room before she had escaped she knew there'd be hell to pay.

One! Ok, she moved her hand to the next one, her heart hammering in her ears. Two! She could no longer hear her captor speaking. He must have hang up. Abby's breath was coming in short spurts as adrenaline raced throughout her system. She worked on the last dead bolt, and she quickly stole a glance at the corridor. She could see a shadow approaching. Her eyes grew wide and she swallowed nervously. Three! Yes! Now she just needed to turn the key of the final lock. She did so quickly with a shaky and sweaty hand. It made a slight noise, and she held the knife in her hand tighter as she brought the other hand to the handle. She turned it briskly. This time it didn't matter if it made any noise or not.

She opened the door and her legs sprang to action. She would run with everything in her. As she took her first great intake of fresh air, she crossed the threshold and came to an abrupt stop. Directly before her stood sturdy a black Doberman whose ears were tipped in her direction. It was watching her intently as it made a bare display of teeth. It began to make a deep low growl, but it did not advance. Abby was well aware that a Doberman was not the type of dog to mess around with. It could be very unpredictable. Her eyes darted around, taking in her surroundings as she wondered how she could possibly get around it. Her heart was now beyond her throat, more like in her mouth. She felt like she was about to vomit, and her whole body was shaking out of fear. She was so frightened that she did not even hear Kensei approach her.

He grabbed her weapon hand and held onto her wrist tightly. With that kind of hold on her she could not attack him with the knife. He roughly dispossessed her of the weapon and dragged her back into the house savagely. He banged the door shut and she looked up at him. His face was contorted in anger, and she knew that that was it. The end had come. Her best chance to escape was blown.

"Where the FUCK did you think you were going, you BITCH!" Abby received a heavy backhanded slap that sent her crashing into the wall. The swollen cut on her head collided with the wall, and she let out a loud cry as Kensei pinned her to the wall, his hand tight around her neck. The pain that seared through her body felt like a ten thousand volt electric shock. Her tears flowed freely as her head throbbed like a hammer against an anvil.

He brought the knife to her throat with the other hand and pressed it into her neck. He steadily applied pressure until beads of blood seeped through the delicate skin. As if the sight of her escaping blood brought the devil out of him, he suddenly dropped the knife which fell with a clatter next to their feet. He swallowed as an unfamiliar emotion gripped him. What had he done? He pulled her over to the chaise lounge with slightly less violence than before and threw her down. He cuffed her arm and removed a handkerchief from his pocket. He tied it across a mouth so that she could not speak, the knot very tight at the nape of her neck.

"You stay here," he said gruffly. "I've got some business to take care of."


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

He pressed a button, and the screen lit up. After a few seconds had elapsed, the screen went black. Again, he pressed a button, and again the screen lit up. He had been repeating this action most of the time that he was awake and without a visitor by his side. He was grateful that the cop who had recorded his statement the previous day had managed to bring him his phone last evening after it was concluded that it did not hold a key to cracking the case. Just then the door opened quietly and he saw a face peek in at him. He smiled and beckoned his mom to come in as he quickly placed the mobile phone he was holding under his pillow. He watched as his mom walked in followed by his brother and grandmother.

"How are you feeling this morning, dear?" Betty Gilligan asked when she got to her son's bedside, stroking his hair.

Hoagie inclined his head towards his mother and gave a small lopsided smile. "I'm ok, mom."

"Good!" his grandmother said instantaneously. "So you should get your behind out of that bed and come home. You're holding up the bed for someone sicker, Tommy."

Hoagie gave her a scoff. "Yeah, try telling that to my doctor," he said quietly.

The fact that her grandson did not correct her for addressing him as Tommy did not go unnoticed. She immediately felt guilty for speaking to him in such a manner. Hoagie was smiling up at them, but his eyes were so sad. "I'm going to do just that," Lydia said gruffly. "You need to be at home with your family so that you can recover faster." With that she turned around and headed for the door in search of her grandson's doctor. Hoagie did not envy him. An encounter with his grandma was like going head first into a hurricane.

Turning his gaze to his brother, Hoagie held out his hand to him. Tommy slapped his hand into his and asked, "You alright, man?"

"Of course," the older of the Gilligan siblings responded, and he could see a wave of relief spread throughout his little brother's face.

The three family members made small talk for twenty minutes as the waited for Lydia to return. Looking at her watch, Mrs. Gilligan turned to Hoagie. "I'm sorry, dear, but we have to go. I've got to run to the office for a while. Aaand, it seems I have to find your grandmother," she said with a smile and a slight roll of the eyes. "We'll see you soon, ok?"

Hoagie nodded and his mother planted a kiss on his forehead. "The police will find Abby, don't you worry," she encouraged before turning and gently tugging on Tommy's jumper. Betty was really fond of her son's girlfriend, and she hoped against hope that her words would ring true.

"Drive safely," the boy in the sickbed called out to their retreating backs, and they waved over their shoulders in response.

When the door clicked shut and he was once again left in his solitude, Hoagie removed the phone from under his pillow and once again pressed a button so as to light the screen. His eyes were fixated on the image that was displayed: two pairs of eyes were looking joyfully up at him. Abby's beautiful smile lit up the screen in a way that the phone's background lighting never could. Next to her was Hoagie who had angled his head in such a way that he could plant a kiss on her cheek and still look up at the camera phone. Black went the screen, down went a button and back came the picture. Hoagie felt the corners of his lips tremble into a soft smile.

His heart was bleeding.

He missed his girlfriend.

He feared for his girlfriend.

He loved his girlfriend.

And he had been unable to protect his girlfriend.

He put the phone back under his pillow and turned to his side in an effort to sleep, as bright as it was in the room. He would much rather be in dream land, or just full-fledged unconscious with no mental images than to be awake and know that he had failed her.

xxx

Kensei was like an animal. If he was threatened, he would not hesitate to protect himself. He reacted out of pure instinct. It was not often that he resolved to the aforementioned animalistic behavior, but when he did, it could be over in a flash. Or like a cat of prey, he could drag out the torture until boredom got the best of him.

Last time, Greg was his prey. Greg the predator, turned prey before Kensei, the ultimate opportunist. Greg had threatened him by threatening the happiness of his sister, and so he took him out. He had a bit of a dilemma what with the extra security guard who was keeping watch outside the door. That particular man was exceptionally loyal to Greg, and Kensei knew that he would pose a problem for him. How was the caramel-skinned man supposed to leave that room without being found out? Well, he found a way.

Running to the door, Kensei had burst open the door in a frantic manner. His eyes met the bewildered ones of the security guard, and he began to speak in a slightly raised voice, his demeanor not as cool and casual as usual. "Come quick. Something's wrong with Greg!"

The security personnel did not waste a second. He ran into the room at lightning speed as he saw his boss lying on the ground. "Sir," he called as he shook the pale man's limp body. He placed two fingers on Greg's neck, next to his carotid artery. Nothing. By the time the security guard realized it was a trap it was too late.

"Up!" Kensei commanded as he pointed a gun at the man.

The guard rose slowly, his hands up in surrender. He looked at the gun, and then up at Kensei's face. "What did you do to him?" he asked in controlled anger.

"Cyanide."

"You son-of –"

"Mind your language," Kensei interjected. "I wouldn't appreciate it if you insulted my mother. Guns on the floor, NOW!"

The man slowly removed the gun at his waist and put it down on the floor, followed by the gun at his ankle before kicking them away like Kensei gestured.

"Good," Kensei said pleasantly. "Now, carry your boss. The three of us are going for a little trip."

They exited the building through back entrance. It was always unmanned. Kensei had never understood how Greg could make such a colossal security error, but on that particular night, he wasn't complaining. It was working in his favour.

"Put him down," Kensei commanded when they had reached the outer wall. There was a mesh gate with a big padlock. "Hands on the gate."

The guard did has he was told.

"Closer!"

The man moved closer, his body flat against the gate. "Look to your right." He did so. Kensei had been standing to his left, and thus by looking to the right the guard was unable to see him in his peripheral vision. Kensei then removed his dress jacket and rolled it up a bit. He covered the nozzle of his gun before aiming for the padlock. He pressed the trigger, and the shot was muzzled. The padlock was now broken, and the guard was ordered to carry Greg's body and open the gate. They walked down the alley where Kensei's Mercedes was parked.

He opened the trunk and gestured for the guard to get inside. Again, he did as he was told. "Get yourself further inside."

"There's nowhere else to go," the security personnel retorted, his eyes harsh.

Kensei smirked, and shut the trunk, deciding it would be safer for him to put Greg's body into his car behind his seat. He opened the back door and unceremoniously threw the corpse onto the floor. He smiled. Phase one complete.

Kensei drove for close to forty minutes out on a major highway. He turned right onto a dirt road and drove another four kilometers before turning left into a wooded area. He got out of his vehicle and looked around him. It was dark before him, even with his headlights on. He grabbed a huge flashlight from the back seat and left on phase two of his mission: to find a nice clearing in which to dig a grave. He came back to his car five minutes later. Opening the back door of his car, he picked the brand new spade that was lying on the seat. Next he unlocked the trunk, his gun trained on the guard. "Out!"

The two men walked out to the clearing that Kensei had found. Shoving the spade into the guard's hands, he cocked the gun at the ground and waited for the man to get to work. Instead, the guard looked at him. "Will you let me go if I dig this damn grave?"

"No."

"Then I'm not doing shit."

"I thought you'd say that." Kensei raised his gun and fired two precise shots. The guard was dead long before he hit the ground. The last man standing put the gun in his waistband and removed his shirt which he hang on a low tree branch before picking up the spade and engaging in manual labour.

xxx

Kuki was home, drinking green tea with her aunt. "So you don't know where he might be?" she asked, despair ready to take over.

Shaking her head slowly, her aunt replied, "Unfortunately, I don't. I just can't believe he could do something like this. Any word about the girl?"

"No, not that I know of." Kuki put her little mug on the table and crossed her arms. "They might put her picture on TV, along with Kensei's."

"Mmm," Suzuka hummed reflectively. "That would help. I wonder who the girl he targeted is. The police hardly told me anything about her when they were here yesterday."

"What? You don't know? It's Abby. My friend Abby from when I was a child." When there was no sign of recollection on her aunt's face, Kuki continued, "Surely you remember the little girl I used to play with back when you still lived with us…she wore a red cap…?"

"Ahh yes, of course," Suzuka said, her eyes somewhat distant. "Oh no, that sweet little girl?" Kuki nodded and she hang her head. Suzuka extended her hand toward her niece and placed it on Kuki's dainty arm. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. If I could I'd call him and talk him back to his senses. That boy, sometimes…" she trailed off, disappointment heavy in her heart.

Kuki's head shot up. "Why can't you call him?"

"I tried yesterday, when the police were here. They wanted me to call him, and then they would triangulate his coordinates or something like that," Kensei's mom said as she rolled her hands, a confused look on her face. "But when I called he didn't pick up. And when I tried again, his phone was off, and it's been off ever since."

Kuki let out a defeated sigh and rolled her eyes back as she reclined further in her seat. She lifted her hair off her neck before resting her interlocked hands at its nape. Every avenue that might lead to Kensei and Abby would always end up blocked.

xxx

"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you?" Kev asked as he stood by the door with his girlfriend, her foot already out in the corridor. "I don't mind," he added, his voice gentle.

"No, but thank you sweetie," she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a kiss on the lips. "I need time to just…think. If you drop me I'll get to the mall a whole lot faster. So I'll just take the bus."

Kev let out a small sigh and hugged Pauline warmly. "Ok," he said quietly, and she tiptoed to give him one more kiss. He understood. She was worried about her friend, and she just needed time to sort out her thoughts before she got to work. He held on to her hand as she walked away, their arms extending and adjusting in length until they finally broke apart. He watched her till she rounded the corner of the corridor before going back into his apartment.

Pauline walked out of the building into the morning chill. She let out her breath and saw its smoky incarnation slowly rise and dissipate into the air. She pulled her collar up and tugged on it as she headed for the bus stop. _Damn that bastard. Where's Abby? _The Kenyan girl wondered as she stood at the bus stop for ten minutes as she waited for a vehicle. When it arrived, it came to a halt at her feet and she boarded it before choosing a seat not too far behind the driver. The bus waited for more passengers for another five minutes before it began its journey into town.

_Oh God, please let her be ok. _The African looked out the window as they went. She looked but she wasn't really seeing anything. The buildings, the trees, the pedestrians, everything was a blur. _And let Hoagie be ok. Let him get better real fast, _she prayed. In her absent-minded state, Pauline almost missed her stop when it was time to alight. She hurriedly got off the bus and looked around her. The road was clear. _Nah, she'll be ok. Abby's ok. I know she is. And the cops are gonna find her. In fact they'll find her today, _she predicted. _They'll find her, and they'll throw that bastard Kensei in prison. _

Pauline got off the side walk.

_And when they throw him in prison, they'll throw away the key._

She began to cross the street.

_Nah, they'll grind up the key and scatter the ashes along the open sea, _she thought with a chuckle.

And then she heard it; that horrid screeching sound of a car. The sound was so loud it caused her to come back to her senses. But her feet were stuck. They were rooted to the ground and her heart practically stopped as she turned her head in the direction of the screeching vehicle.

Crash!


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

A crowd began to gather around the young lady. Shrill 'oh my gods' and frantic 'call 911s' could be heard as the passers by looked down in fear and horror at the accident victim. She was in bad shape, literally; practically mangled as her body lay in an awkward position on the road where she finally landed nearly ten feet from where the vehicle had actually collided with her.

Pauline had witnessed the whole thing. It felt like it had happened in slow-mo as she saw the vehicle head directly for the girl, speeding up as it aligned itself with its target. That's when the loud screech was made, when the driver floored the gas pedal. The young Kenyan was traumatized; the way that girl's body was thrown up in the air…the way it was hit again, while in mid-air by the hardy blue van when it swerved…and the way the girl landed on the ground on her shoulder with such force that Pauline had heard a snap of the bone…it made her sick.

She watched as the van sped away at a fair rate of knots, disappearing from the scene nearly as quickly as it had arrived there. The driver rounded the corner to his left - Pauline's right - at the next junction, going through two lanes as he did so and very nearly ramming into another vehicle. Pauline's breath caught in her throat as she saw the manic and yet contented look in the driver's face. She quickly lowered her eyes, catching only the last few characters of the vehicle's license number.

She removed her cell phone from her handbag and called 911, not to report the accident, for she had heard one of the people in the crowd down the street scream hysterically into her phone, requesting an ambulance. When the call was answered Pauline asked to be put through to anyone dealing with the Abigail Lincoln case. She waited for a short period of time before someone spoke.

"This is Officer Carlisle," said the voice.

"I think I just saw Kensei!" Pauline replied urgently.

xxx

The rookie cop ran towards his boss's desk. "Sergeant!" he nearly screamed in his excitement.

Sgt. Brady looked up from his papers at Officer Carlisle. He arched his virtually invisible ginger eyebrow at the young officer.

"I think we've finally caught a break!"

That got the sergeant's attention alright. "What?"

"I just received a phone call from a Pauline…something," he said as he looked down at the paper in his hand in which was scrolled Pauline's name. Unable to pronounce her surname, he continued, "She was a witness to an accident at 111 & Coal Street."

Brady gave him an incredulous look. "And that is a break…how?"

Officer Carlisle smiled at the impatience of the sergeant. Gesturing at his boss to zip it, he continued, "It was a hit and run. The perp, according to our eye witness, was Kensei Sanban himself."

Immediately, the sergeant got to his feet, a grin gracing his features. This was the best piece of news he had heard in over 24 hours. So far they had nothing on Kensei. They didn't even know if he was still in the city, let alone the state; until now.

"Wait for it, sergeant," Carlisle said, his grin matching that of his boss. "The witness gave a description of the vehicle; a blue van. AND she got its registration number. Not all of it, but the last three characters."

"That's more than we had before," the sergeant said in excitement. Going around his desk Brady clapped his officer on the back. "Good lad. Let's run what we've got through the database."

"Already on it, sir," Carlisle said as he turned and walked hurriedly towards the IT department.

Sgt. Brady pumped his fist in the air, feeling better than he had a few minutes earlier when he was going through the ballistics report on the bullet recovered from Hoagie's couch. It had yielded no results, for the bullet had matched no gun in the database. But now there was hope. "Yesss!" he hissed as he pumped his fist once again before taking his seat and picking the phone off the receiver.

xxx

Back on the other side of town, Pauline had gone down the street to join the crowd. She pushed her way through until she got to the epicentre of the thirty-plus member crowd. She looked down at the victim, who from her point of view, was not breathing. There was quite a bit of blood on the road, most of it coming from the girl's head. She must have hit it against the road when she fell, mused the African.

Pauline's stomach was starting to churn as she took in the gruesome injuries that the victim had. Her shoulder was definitely busted. Her white arms were tainted by bloody scrapes and bruises. The girl's back was to Pauline as she lay on her side. The mocha skinned girl could tell that the victim had at least one broken rib, for there was an awkward projection from the girl's torso.

Pauline heard the siren of the approaching ambulance, and that prompted her to go around the body to see what other obvious injuries the girl had sustained. "Man," she said under her breath when she saw the state the girl's leg was in, which made her feel queasier. Blood was gushing out of the point at which the leg had made contact with the van's bumper.

The ambulance stopped right next to the crowd, and the paramedics screamed at the people to dissipate and give them access to the victim. Pauline moved a few steps to the right as the paramedics whizzed past her with their gurney.

"Crap, this is bad," one of the paramedics could be heard saying as he knelt and tried to check for a pulse. He and his partner then hurriedly but gingerly checked the rest of her body as they tried to gauge the nature of her injuries before shifting the victim and putting her on the gurney. Satisfied that they could move her, the female paramedic adjusted the height of the collapsible gurney while her partner covered the victims face with an oxygen mask and pumped air into her lungs. As they lifted the girl onto the gurney, her head lolled to the side and back again.

"Hold on to her head, dammit!" The female paramedic screamed.

Pauline, whose eyes had been stuck on the goings-on before her, let out a shocked gasp when the victim's head had lolled to the side, for the curtain of hair that had hidden her face swung away, revealing her identity.

"Oh, shit," Pauline whispered as she brought her hands to her face. Right then her stomach could no longer accommodate its contents, and she threw up violently on the road.

xxx

"Jamie, where's your mother?"

'I don't know," he replied rudely without even looking up at his father, his eyes trained on the TV. Cree, who had arrived when their dad was down at the station, stared at her baby brother in shock. He had never been so ill-mannered before.

David's jaw twitched slightly in irritation. This game his son was playing was starting to get old. "Look," he said sternly, "you're going to have to change your attitude, and fast. You're starting to piss me off."

"Good!" said Jamie just as sternly before walking off to his room, leaving a seething father and flabbergasted sister in his wake.

Cree looked sympathetically up at her father. "Sorry dad. I'll talk to him."

His gaze softened as he looked at his daughter. He sighed and looked towards the corridor his son had just disappeared through. "Thanks." He went into the kitchen to serve the muffins he had bought into a bowl. Walking back to the living room, he sat beside his eldest child and held the bowl between them. She picked a muffin and bit into it gratefully.

Genviéve walked in a few minutes later, drenched in sweat as she had gone for a morning jog to help ease her worries. "You're back," she said in reference to Dave, who held out the bowl to her. Shaking her head, she said she would have a muffin after her shower.

Fifteen minutes later, she walked into the living room all fresh and rejuvenated. She picked a muffin and sat on the couch next to her husband.

"Can I get you some coffee?" Cree asked, already rising to her feet.

Mrs. Lincoln nodded. "Mm, thank you," she said as her daughter went into the kitchen. "These are really good," she told David as she finished the muffin. He smiled at her and silently offered her another one. Craving some form of physical contact, he inclined his knee toward hers until they touched. It was such a subtle action, but he didn't want to push it. The previous day he had held her in his arms, but that was because he was comforting her, because they had received bad news. Trying to go for something more could be disastrous, so he settled for touching his knee to hers.

She immediately spoke up. "David." It wasn't harsh, they she called him, but his knee jerked away from hers at the speed of light. _What was I thinking? Of course she wouldn't want that, _he chastised himself. He looked into her eyes, hoping that she would see how sorry he was for doing that just then. She gave him a small smile as she studied his features before looking down at his knee. She stretched her hand to it and returned it to the spot it had been in before she had spoken up. He watched as his knee was guided back to hers, and he could feel the tension in his body start to release.

Just then Cree brought her mother's coffee, and then went back into the kitchen to fix herself some cereal.

"I was going to say that I think we should go by the hospital and visit Hoagie."

"Oh," Dave said, seeming somewhat confounded. "Yeah, of course."

She smiled again. He was so handsome when he was clueless.

…

Genviéve was in the library, looking for an empty seat. It was mid semester, thus the library was full of students who were studying for their midterms. She spotted a table with one empty chair, and she made a beeline for it before some other student saw it. Argh, the table was at the corner of the hall. She hated sitting at corner tables, but she didn't really have much of a say that time around. As she approached the table she could see one of the students whose back was to her had his nose so deep in his book that she would not have been surprised if he had fallen asleep.

She walked round the table and laid her books on the table before pulling back the chair. As she sat she looked at the student seated directly opposite her, the one whose face was almost coming into contact with his book. She couldn't help but giggle. He was indeed dozing. _Poor guy, _she thought, _he must have been up all night. _As she sat she dragged the chair forward, and it made a short dull noise which was enough to get the sleepy student to jump. His eyes were still glazed over as he looked at the student across from him. He looked like he was trying to process something in his head; trying and failing. He seemed confused, and Genviévesmiled at him. He was so cute, looking all clueless like that. She remembered him from the cafeteria many weeks ago. She gave him a small wave, and he just stared at her for a few more seconds before having the brains to wave back.

He suddenly came alive when recognition finally set in. He looked embarrassed, and she could see a bit of a blush spread over his cheeks before he quickly buried his face in his book. He remembered her, the beauty from the cafeteria. He felt like such an idiot. _She must __**think **__I'm an idiot, _he thought as he dared to steal a glance at her.

Three hours later, Genviéve picked up her books and left the table. She was out in the school grounds when she heard someone calling behind her. "Excuse me! Excuse me! Hey?" She turned to see the guy from the library jogging towards her, his huge course texts balancing precariously one on top of the other. She looked at him curiously as he approached. "Your pen," he said breathlessly as he held out the stationery to her. "I saw it on the floor just after you left."

"Oh, thank you," she said in that French accent that just made him want to melt. She smiled at him and reiterated, "Thank you."

"No problem," he said as he tried to catch his breath.

She began to walk away but quickly stopped and turned to face him again. "I'm Genviéve," she said as she held her hand out to him.

"Genviéve," he said slowly as he let the name roll off his tongue. He shook her hand gently. "Nice to meet you. I'm David…Dave," he said with a shrug. "Whichever you prefer."

She smiled. "Nice to meet you, too, David."

Wow,he thought. He never knew his name could sound so awesome_. _The way she said his name; David, with the 'A' pronounced as 'ah' instead of 'ay'. As he was still enthralled by the reverberation of his name in his ears, she walked off. When he came back to the land of the living, she had already covered quite a few metres. He moved quickly to walk in stride with her. "Uh…" _just do it, _he encouraged himself. "…would you like to grab something to eat? Right now…unless you wanna hang out with your friends or something," he said rather hurriedly.

"Or something," she replied with a grin. When he seemed confused, she added, "Yes, I would like to…grab…something to eat?"

He smiled down at her. There was this twinkle in her eye that just captivated him.

xxx

Nigel sat slumped in a chair in the casualty area. Lizzie walked into the large hall and when she saw him her heart broke into a million little pieces. She walked slowly up to him and took the seat beside him. His eyes were fixed on the ground, and he hadn't realized who was sitting beside him until she put her hand on his shoulder. He jumped in surprise before his hazel eyes met hers. He could see that she was worried, and as she looked at his tear-streaked face and red-rimmed eyes, he could see realization dawn on her.

"No, please," she said as a sob escaped her mouth. Her eyes welled with tears as Nigel took one of her hands in his. It was all he could do. He had no strength for a more substantial gesture. Her sobs were becoming uncontrollable, and she slumped over in the chair and brought a fist to her mouth as she tried to stifle her cries. Nigel felt like it was becoming more and more difficult to breathe as he saw his girlfriend break down. His windpipe seemed to clamp down as he felt an overwhelming wave of despair wash over him. He tightened the muscles in his jaw in an attempt to bury the raw emotion that was threatening to erupt through him. _How much more can he take; they take_, he wondered as he began to tear again.

He leaned towards Lizzie and draped his arm over her shoulder. Her body was shaking violently, and he coaxed her into sitting up so that she could cry into his shoulder. She moved her face to the crook of his neck where her tears cascaded down his skin into the hollow of the clavicle. He held her head to him, stroking her hair gently as his chest heaved every once in a while in a choked sob.

After a while they left together arm in arm. On their way to the parking lot they met Abby's parents who were heading for the north wing of the hospital.

xxx

"What's wrong, is it Abby?" Hoagie asked in fear as he sat up as quickly as he could when he saw the expression on Mrs. Lincoln's face.

"No, no dear," she said soothingly as she got to his bedside and gingerly placed her hand on his arm. "Be careful. We wouldn't you to hurt yourself," she added as he winced in pain when he tried to lie back again.

"On the contrary," said Mr. Lincoln as he came to stand on the opposite side of his wife. He looked down at Hoagie, his face lighting up a bit. "I just received a call from the police man who's in charge of Abby's case. He says they've ID'd the vehicle he most likely used during the kidnapping. They have sent word around the department so that everyone can keep an eye out for it."

"Oh, ok. That's good," Hoagie replied quietly. But when he turned his head to look at Abby's mum, she still had that troubled expression. He immediately knew that she was like that because she blamed him for her daughter's kidnapping. He couldn't blame her. If he was in her position he'd probably feel the same way. He swallowed a lump in his throat. "I'm sorry," he said as he looked into her eyes. Turning to Abby's dad, he added, "I'm sorry, to both of you. I should have done more to protect Abby."

"Don't say that," Genviéve said in a disapproving yet loving tone. "You did your best. That's all anyone can ask for. The police will find her; I am confident about that," she said as she held her hand to Hoagie's face to comfort him. As she looked into his eyes, he seemed so conflicted.

"Then why…why do you look at me like that? If you don't blame me...?" He asked in desperation.

The two parents exchanged a look before returning their gaze to the convalescing boy. "We have just met Nigel on his way out."

"Way out from where? He hasn't been here yet," said Hoagie, looking slightly confused.

"Yes, um, he did not know how to see you…to tell you…"

"Tell me what?" he asked, now sitting up again and ignoring the pain in his stomach as he did so.

"He says that…Eva…has passed away."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" She screamed into the phone. "You bastard!"

He had not liked the way she was speaking to him.

"Did you have to shoot him, huh? He's fucking bedridden." She took a deep breath, and he took the opportunity to speak.

"I did what was necessary. Now why don't you tend to your little boyfriend and I'll tend to Abby, ok?" he said quietly and calmly, a stark contrast to Eva's mood. "And don't call me again. It's over now. We both got what we want, so let's just move on with our lives," he added as he furrowed his brow when he thought he had heard the front door.

"Oh it's over alright. I don't want any part of this anymore. This is not what I signed up for. It was supposed to be discreet, but the cops are after you…you asshole! Shit, you didn't have to shoot Hoagie."

"What exactly are you saying?" Kensei asked, irritation evident in his voice.

"I'm saying I don't know you... I've never seen you…you've never seen me, alright?"

"Of course." He hang up and walked into the living room to find the door open as Abby had made an attempt to escape. He was pissed off enough as it was with Eva calling him, and then to find Abby outside, he couldn't take it anymore, and so he hit her. After chaining and gagging the scared mocha skinned girl, Kensei's next mission had been to eliminate the only person who knew where to find him.

xxx

Nigel and Lizzie were seated in his car in the hospital's parking lot. The Briton was not in a state to drive, for he was drunk on grief. He had no more tears, but the look on his face still portrayed his shock and sorrow. "How? Why?" he asked out loud without realizing as he tried to come to terms with the loss of his closest family member apart from his parents. He stared out the window at people walking to and from their vehicles before reclining his chair until it was obstructed by the back seat. He interlocked his fingers so that he could support his head as he lay back. He turned to his right to see his girlfriend weeping quietly into her hands.

Lizzie didn't know what to do.

While she had been in the bathroom earlier that morning, she had heard Eva screaming into her phone. Quickly, the chubby girl had grabbed her towel and walked out into the corridor. "Eva, is everything alright?"

"Yeah," the auburn haired girl replied. "Don't worry about."

Lizzie hadn't believed her, and she walked into the room, looking at her best friend questioningly. Eva, who had been covering the mic of the phone with her hand, gave Lizzie a strained smile before waving her away. "It's nothing, ok. Just go take your shower, alright?"

Lizzie turned and went back to the bathroom and turned on the shower. As the water poured she opened the bathroom door ever so slightly. She could hear her friend yell at someone on the phone as she admonished the person for shooting Hoagie. Lizzie gasped. _So Eva is involved. What kind of crap is this? _She listened more intently as Eva said she would no longer be a part of the whole fiasco. Lizzie could tell that the call had ended when there was a disturbance in the closet. As her friend rummaged through her belongings, Lizzie heard Eva speaking to herself, "I thought I didn't give a shit about Abby, but I can't let Kensei hurt her...chaining her to a wall like some animal…Hoagie will never be mine anyway, he's made that perfectly clear…I'm gonna go to the cops…"

Eva was out the door before Lizzie could react.

And now she's dead. _Shit. _Lizzie didn't know what to do. Should she tell Nigie that Eva was involved in Abby's kidnapping? It would kill him. Eva was the closest thing he had to a sister. He loved her. Something like that might tarnish his image of her. Pauline had said that the guy who ran her friend over looked like Kensei. That would make sense. After having an argument like that, he would probably off her if he felt threatened.

Lizzie felt a hand on her thigh. She opened her eyes and looked at Nigel who had sat up again, his gaze sympathetic. She swallowed and gave him a watery smile as she placed her hand on his. "It'll be ok," he said quietly as he instead held her hand in his and lightly rubbed his thumb over it.

Should I tell him?

Shouldn't I?

Should I?

"I know," she finally replied.

xxx

Hoagie was standing at the nurse's station. "I'm checking out."

"No, you're not," said the stern voice of Dr. Suarez who was approaching the patient from behind.

The young brown haired man turned around to see his doctor, his face looking as stern as his voice had sounded. "I mean no disrespect," Hoagie said as he stretched his arm out to hold onto the counter, "but I'm not staying here one more minute."

"Look at you," said the doctor as he pointed his file at the patient, "you can hardly stand on your own. You should be in bed resting."

"I'll rest at home," replied the boy with a wince as he tried to stand straight to prove the doctor wrong. As Dr. Suarez shook his head, Hoagie added, his voice rising, "Even if I stay here for a fu –" He cut himself short and took a deep breath before he blew a fuse. "Even if I'm here for a week, my wound won't have healed. So I'm leaving."

"I don't like this."

"I don't care," Hoagie growled harshly. He looked down at the ground as his doctor watched him. "Sorry," he added quietly. "Please…my girlfriend is missing. My ex girlfriend is dead. I dunno what's going on anymore," he said with a defeated expression on his face. "I can't just lie here," he said as he shook his head slowly. "I dunno where my girlfriend is," he added in barely a whisper, his hand stuck in his hair as he paused mid-action of running his fingers through his tousled locks. The doctor walked up to him and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. He was sympathetic to the boy's plight.

"Give him his papers," the doctor told the nurse who was manning the station. "And please get him ten days worth of dressing."

"Right away doctor," said the nurse after she pushed the check-out papers to the young man.

"You've been through a fairly major surgery, so try to get some rest," he advised the boy. "And I want you back here in a week for a checkup."

Hoagie nodded. He signed his papers and waited for his dressings to be brought. Once they were in his hands he thanked the doctor and the nurse and slowly made his way down the corridor and out of the hospital, all the while holding onto his painful abdomen.

xxx

Abby felt so helpless; and useless. How was it that with one free hand (since Kensei only used to chain one arm) she still couldn't untie the damn gag in her mouth? She let out a muffled scream in frustration as she again tried to undo the tough knot at the nape of her neck. She had been at it for the past three hours without any luck. Her left arm would become very strained and painful.

Giving up for the time being, she lay on the chaise lounge and watched the TV. She wasn't really watching it, more like she was just looking at it. She lay down and worried about Hoagie, wondered what her folks were doing at that time, and wondered about where she was. She let her mind mull over what she had seen when she had stood outside for just a moment, her path blocked by that very scary-looking canine. Why were the surroundings so familiar? She had clearly been around that neighbourhood before, yet she could not put her finger on the location. "Grrr," she growled. _Remember, dammit. Remember!_

Just then, she heard a heavy vehicle pull up to the driveway. Kensei was back. _Shit. _She would much rather remain locked up in that house by herself than be locked up with him around. In as much as she hated to admit it, she was afraid of him. He was just too damn unpredictable. _Like his bloody Doberman, _she thought.

Seconds later, the tall biracial man sauntered into the house, looking sufficiently pleased with himself. He looked down at Abby from the front door, giving her a most charming smile before he walked down the corridor into his bedroom. The young African American looked on after him, and she felt sick to her stomach. _There is something off with that fool._

Kensei came back into the living room having discarded his shoes and jacket. He sat down next to Abby and held her in his arms. He noticed that she involuntarily shuddered when he touched her. He kissed her on the cheek, and discreetly breathed in her scent. "I'm sorry I hurt you earlier. But you asked for it, you know. If you're a good girl, we won't have any problems." He then brought his hands up to the knot, and his fingers worked it for a couple of minutes before he finally managed to untie it.

"There you go," he said sweetly. "All better?"

"Obviously!" Abby spat out as she rubbed her fingers on the corners of her mouth.

Snaking his arms around her waist, Kensei held her tightly to him, and took an obvious sniff of her neck. She immediately pushed him away, disgust evident in her face. "What the fuck, man?" She moved away from him, as far as her chained arm could allow. "I'm not your woman, dammit. I don't want you. I – DON'T – LOVE – YOU!"

Kensei laughed a most genuine laugh before stretching his arm to her, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Oh, Abby, you make me happy! Listen doll, don't think you're going back to that boy of yours," he said as he scratched his cheek with early morning stubble. "You are mine; all mine!"

All of a sudden, the TV caught their attention as the anchorwoman on the news mentioned the name 'Abigail Lincoln'. They both sat up straighter, their eyes trained on the television.

…_violent kidnapping of the young university student. The kidnapper, known as Kensei Sanban, is extremely dangerous, and the police advise everyone to be on the lookout for this man...*_A picture and sketch of Kensei had just been put up on the screen_*_

"What the hell?" Kensei exclaimed as he saw his image on the TV screen. He stood up and walked to the TV as he listened to the anchorwoman:

…_He should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. If anyone should believe he or she has seen him, please contact the police. Do not attempt to confront him. Now, we've also just obtained a recent photograph of the kidnapped student… *_a photograph of Abby was displayed on the screen_*…do not hesitate to contact the police if you believe you have seen Abigail Lincoln…_

Holding his head in his hands Kensei whispered an expletive. "Dammit, these guys are trying to put a cog in my wheel." He turned to Abby, "It's not gonna work," he said with a smile. "I got rid of the only person who could tell the cops where to find me." He then took a seat beside the mocha skinned girl.

Alarm bells sounded in her head. "Huh? What did you do?"

He ignored her as he got his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.

"Kensei! Who did you…kill?" she asked with trepidation.

He brought his palm to her cheek. "No matter, babe." He stood and moved away from her, sitting on the armrest of the couch and his phone held to his ear. He got voice mail. "You better call me as soon as you get back, you hear me? I need to get outta hear ASAP! You know who I am."

He hang up and threw the phone onto the couch. Seeing Abby's questioning look, he said, "You and I…we're going away; where no one can find us. It will be just you and me." He gave a little chuckle. "Ever been to Japan, baby?"


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Dave would spend most of his free time for the remainder of the semester with Genviéve. They were the happiest seven weeks he had had in a long time. He would occasionally run into Chuck, but the African American would act like he hadn't seen him, like his former best friend was just any random guy walking around campus. They had not spoken since the incident, and although Viv (as he sometimes referred to Genviéve) had encouraged him to talk to the Casanova, David had refused to do any such thing. At least the young French woman hadn't insisted that he try to talk to his ex, because that would have just pissed him off, and he didn't want to be pissed off at Viv because quite honestly, he liked her, although he didn't want to admit it.

He had in fact been lucky not to run into his ex at all. There were hushed rumours circulating that she had quit school, or that she would be taking a break the following semester, and some stories that she was expectant. He knew her well though. She was too smart a girl to simply quit school because she was found cheating, so that was just a bunch of bull. A sem break? Whatever, he thought. But pregnant? Shit! That's one thing he hoped was untrue, because it would rip his heart wide open to know that she was carrying Chuck's baby. That would be adding insult to injury to the extreme, especially since he had once dared dream of starting a family with her.

…

"David?"

He was dragged out of his reverie by the voice of his wife. Looking up at her, he saw that she was carrying a blanket in her hands. She came and sat beside him on the couch, her legs folded under her. She threw the warm fleece blanket over them.

"What were you thinking about?" she asked as she reached for the TV remote and reduced the volume.

He held the blanket, rolling his hands over it slowly as he stalled to reply. He licked his lips and let out his breath as he pulled the blanket up to his chin. "Nothing." The look she gave him showed that she didn't buy it. He shrugged before adding, "Just…times past."

She nodded thoughtfully. He returned his gaze to the TV screen, only for Genviéve to speak again. "We're only human."

"Huh?" he asked as he faced her, his brow arched.

"We're only human," she reiterated. "So sometimes we let each other down. You let me down, and you let our family down, but you're only human."

He shifted his gaze to the floor as her words stung him. She brought her hand to his face, and turned it back to her so that she could look into his eyes. She could see his guilt laid bare in those chocolate brown eyes. "No matter what you do, I will always love you."

He shut his eyes as her words warmed his soul. He could still feel her hand on his face, and as he took a deep breath he heard felt her shift on the couch. He felt goose pimples break out on his neck as he felt her soft lips on his cheek. Opening his eyes, he looked at her beautiful face. "And I forgive you," she added as she touched her forehead to his.

David felt a tear roll down his cheek which was immediately brushed away by his wife's gentle fingers. He reached for her and hugged her close as he cupped her head. "Thank you, thank you," he whispered.

"I forgive you," she said into his neck where she had nuzzled, "It will be difficult to forget. I swear I will try to forget, but I make no promises."

xxx

Hoagie was seated at the table with his family for dinner. He had just been playing around with his food, repeatedly poking and prodding his fork into his meatloaf but doing little else. He hadn't even realized how quiet everyone else was as they all watched him, guessing what was going through his mind.

Hogarth P. Gilligan III had never been the best Jew; that much he knew. He had not been down to the synagogue in a while. He wasn't really setting the best example for Tommy, and his mother no longer bothered to tell him what she expected. He was an adult, and he had the right to make his own decisions, even though Betty did not approve of some of his choices.

But on that evening, Hoagie was talking to God. He felt he had no right to really, but he pled with God to forgive him for only calling on Him when things weren't going right. He prayed that Abby was alright, and that Kensei would not lay a hand on her. And he promised to go to the synagogue come the next Sabbath. Was he trying to bargain with God? Maybe, he wasn't too sure himself, but he did think it was about time he behaved like a Jew, come what may.

xxx

On that Saturday evening, Kensei had had the damning desire to get high. Maybe it was because he was secretly starting to worry that the cops were getting close, even though he had no reason to think any such thing. There was no Eva to rat on him, and there was nothing about her 'accident' in the news. However, his picture was all over the TV channels, and that _was_ a posing a problem. He couldn't walk around freely anymore, and that bastard Guererro still hadn't gotten back to him. The solution to his potential problems was to fly to Japan and hide out there till everything had cooled down here. Soon enough it would be assumed that Abby's dead, and the cops will have nothing but a cold trail. But until Kensei could confirm that things would work out as smoothly as he imagined, he would resort to getting high and wait for the crooked Mexican to call him back.

Now the living room was filled with a lazy cloud of smoke from the weed he had lit a while earlier. He was starting to feel relaxed, and he could see that Abby was getting affected too as her eyes seemed a bit distant and glazed. He figured she had never done weed before, otherwise the smoke wouldn't have gotten to her so easily. He sat up and leaned forward to prepare the coke that was on the table.

His movement caught Abby's eye, and she looked at him intently. Her mind was working slightly slower than usual, but she still had enough sense to caution him. "Fool, I don't care who you think you are, but you shouldn't be mixing drugs."

Just to spite her, he took one long snort of the coke. Scrunching his face, he held his breath until the odd and painful sensation of the white powder moving up his nose faded, and then he audibly let out his breath before speaking in a low strained voice, "You can't tell me what to do."

"Like hell I can't; for as long as I'm here, I can." She might not have given a damn were she one hundred percent sober, or maybe she might. But she figured that if he died because he was mixing drugs, then she'd be stuck chained to that wall for who knows how long.

Kensei reclined in his chair and looked at Abby. "You can't tell me what to do…not unless you're my wife."

Abby found herself tickled by his statement.

"Go ahead and laugh, but you're my woman now, and when we get to Japan I'm gonna make you my wife. THEN you can tell me what to do," he said with a sneer before taking another snort of his precious white powder.

"Bullshit." If Abby had her senses, she wouldn't have retorted like that. The word had barely left her mouth before Kensei was standing before her, looking down at her with a glint in his eye. He held her lower jaw in a vice-like grip and shook her head rather violently. "Don't say that," he growled. "You are fucking mine." He let go of her just as suddenly as he had grabbed her and began to unbuckle his belt. "I'll show you," he said as he tugged at his belt, "I'll make you mine right now."

Abby's eyes widened as her heart began to race. _Oh shit, shit, shit_. She gulped nervously as he now undid the button of his jeans. "K-Kensei…don't," she begged as she frantically pulled the chain that bound her to the wall. The noisy jangle of the cold iron chain did nothing to calm her nerves as she watched the man before her get out of his jeans. He made to grab Abby by the arm but she swatted his hand away, earning a backhanded slap from her drug-dazed kidnapper.

She screamed, and he brought his hand to her throat and squeezed, thereby cutting her shriek short. "Shut up!" he hissed. "I just wanna make you feel like a woman...in ways that that stupid-ass boy never could."

Abby was trying to pry herself free, but her small hands could do nothing against his big strong ones. She stopped trying as she felt her head pound due to a lack of oxygen. He then let go of her throat, and she began to wheeze painfully as air flooded her lungs. She brought her hands to her throat, touching it gently. It still felt like Kensei had his hand around it. She looked up at him in full-fledged fear, and she could see that he wasn't the same man he had been. The drugs had done something to him – made him act more easily on his impulses.

He immediately brought his hand to her waist and grabbed her pants and pulled on them savagely as he tried to undress her. She screamed again and tried to kick him, but his quick reflexes enabled him to catch her leg as she swung it. He gave a sudden strong pull on her leg, and she yelped in pain as she felt as though her leg had been unhinged at the knee and hip. As she was still preoccupied by the pain he took the window of opportunity to pull off her pants, leaving her exposed in her underwear. She instantly flushed red and swung her unbound arm with all her might to punch him. She got him square in the jaw and he groaned while she hissed as pain coursed through her fist.

Kensei slapped her again and then ripped off her panty. "Please Kensei…"

"Shut. The. Fuck. Up!"

"Kensei," she cried as he held her waist with one arm and tried to spread her legs with the other. "Please DON'T!" she screamed as she began to thrash wildly beneath him, kicking her legs all over the place and throwing her arms wherever. Kensei instead brought his hands back to her throat and squeezed. Her eyes popped and her ears rang as her head felt like it might explode due to a sudden excessive pressure. However, instead of giving up, she continued to thrash with every ounce of strength that she had in her body.

Her body…

It hurt…her leg…her throat...her head…everywhere…

It felt like time was slowing down. She could hear her heartbeat clearly in her ears. It was slowing down…everything was becoming dark…

'_Maybe it's better this way_' was her last thought before Abby lost consciousness.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Walking out into the night's chill, Kensei could not fathom what he was feeling. His body was burning for more. He swore quietly under his breath as he removed his keys from the pocket and unlocked his car. Bringing the engine to life he pulled the vehicle onto the driveway. He rolled down the windows as he craved some cool, fresh air. His mind was reeling with images of what had just transpired.

The beautiful dark skin…the motionless body…his lips on hers…his desperate thrusts, yet…yet he gained no gratification whatsoever.

He honked his horn in frustration, the blare reflecting his inner turmoil. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he tried to rid himself of his thoughts. Kensei drove onto the next major highway as he reached his hand into his jacket pocket and removed his Dunhill pack. He quickly manipulated it and put a cigarette in his mouth. Next he removed a lighter from his glove compartment and ignited his cigarette, taking a long and much appreciated drag. The taste of the tobacco on his tongue and the smooth caress of the smoke along his windpipe helped calm him somewhat. For the first time since he got into the car he actually heard the music emanating from his radio.

All of a sudden his eyes were drawn to the rear view mirror as the darkness was broken by the tell-tale rotating red and blue lights before the silence was punctuated by a short blast of a police siren.

"Son-of-a…shiiit!" Kensei's pulse began to race. Surely there was no way the cops could be on to him. He had covered his tracks. There were no more loose ends. How in heaven's name could they possibly..._Guerrero? If that_ _weasel so much as mentioned my name I swear I'll fuck him up so bad…_

The fugitive really had only two options, head for the hills or abide with the law and pull over. He weighed his alternatives, then reached over the passenger seat into his glove compartment and pulled out his glock. Holding it tightly in his hand, the caramel-skinned man began to slow down, preparing to pull over. As he did so, his mind trained on the idea of a quick kill, the police car by-passed him and kept on going. Kensei watched the vehicle disappear down the road before he let out the breath he hadn't even realised he was holding. _Damn, that was a close one, _he thought as he placed his gun on the passenger seat and directed his vehicle back onto the road.

xxx

"Talk to me, Carlisle," Sgt. Brady said as he walked into the room on the second floor of the police station. The rugged ginger threw his jacket over a nearby chair as he went and filled a plastic cup with coffee.

"Sir," the young, eager officer began, "We've just received this package from the police department across town." He lifted the transparent plastic bag that had been resting on the table. "These belonged to that girl who was run over yesterday." Inside the bag could be seen a red handbag, some cosmetic items, a notepad and a cell phone. "The department had run the prints on the cell phone but none matched Kensei's."

"So we still can't be sure that he was the one who killed Eva, even though our gut tells us that slime ball is responsible," finished Brady, frustration evident in his voice. He took a sip of the coffee and grimaced. It was lukewarm and very bitter, but he'd make do with it. "Another dead end," he said as he took a seat.

"Not necessarily. The team and I checked out the messages on the phone, and we discovered some peculiarities." Officer Carlisle pushed the bag towards his senior together with a pair of gloves. "We've got a print out of the odd messages, but I don't think they'll do much good without the missing messages."

Brady, hand gloved, was already thumbing through the phone.

_Inbox_

_Message 3: Don't fucking threaten me._

_14/12_

"Hmm." The sergeant thought they were onto something, but further scrutiny of the subsequent inbox messages proved to be nothing but regular friendly banter. He quickly decided to have a look at the outbox folder. Bingo.

_Outbox_

_Message 1: Why'd you shoot him you bastard?_

_14/12_

_Message 2: Why won't you pick up? I don't want any funny business._

_7/12_

_Message 3: Dude, you'd better put that key to use. I want to get back with Hoagie now._

_4/12_

_Message 4: So how we'll we break up the happy couple._

_27/11_

"What the…? We've got evidence without having evidence," the sergeant said as he scratched his scalp.

"Yeah, what are we gonna do?"

"Somehow we've got to convince the DA to give us a warrant to go through the mobile networks records. Even then, if we do confirm Kensei and Eva were in cahoots, we still dunno where to find the son-of-a-bitch."

xxx

Abby's eyes were heavy as she struggled to open them. She squinted as the light burned her eyes, then she suddenly sat up with a jolt when she recalled Kensei attacking her. Staring blankly down at herself, she noticed she was wearing her panties. However, there was a small tear somewhere along the seam. Next she looked at her pants, which were still pooled at her ankles. Abigail didn't know what to think. She was numb at this point. She shifted to reach down and pull her jeans back up with her free arm.

She felt nothing, physically. No pain. She had no memories of anything. That was a good thing.

Also, maybe, hopefully, no pain meant nothing happened.

She stopped maneuvering her jeans around her hips long enough to peek into her panties. She sighed and pulled her jeans up to wear them properly. Having buttoned her pants, she pulled on the chain that was barring her movements. Of course it hadn't become any looser than the last time she checked. Abby lay herself down on the chaise lounge and shut her eyes. A solitary tear escaped her eye and run across the bridge of her nose onto the other cheek. Her eyelids were burned with the image she had just seen; the small red stains on her panties.

xxx

David had completed his minimum number of practical hours needed to graduate. He was now busy traversing from one office to another; the Dean to the Registrar, the Library back to the Dean, the student council office and everywhere else in-between as he sought to fill in and finalise the paperwork that would enable him to graduate.

As he walked out of the School of Sciences his eyes were gloriously assaulted by the girl whom he could not stop thinking about. She was heading for the School of Arts, her arms filled with two huge course texts. Deciding then would be as good a time as any to take a break from his not-so-interesting current activities, Dave quickly yet quietly followed behind Genviève till he was right behind her.

"Hi," he whispered into her right ear. Startled, she swiftly looked over her right shoulder, but there was no one in sight. Well, no one near enough to have spoken into her ear. Deciding her mind was playing tricks on her, the young French woman turned to face the direction of her destination only to end up bumping into someone.

What David could only assume was some French expletive was followed by 'so sorry' before Genviève realised who she had just walked into.

"Ah, David," she said in surprise. "Idiot," she said with a wry smile. "Making me think I'm going mad."

"Well, hellooo to you too," he replied with a grin as he rubbed his chest where her books had knocked him. "May I?" he asked as he offered his hands to Genviève. She gladly deposited her books into his willing arms before giving him a tight hug.

"I have missed you," she said as she finally let go, looking up at him.

The young man smiled down at her. "Me too. Four weeks is a long time, considering we had thought we'd see more of each other." The last time they met they had had a quick lunch 'date'. It wasn't so much a date as it was two friends having a meal together.

As the two continued to walk down the path, Genviève asked what Dave was doing in school. He told her all about his paper signing and whatnot, and that's when she dropped the proverbial bomb. "I'm going home next week. Tuesday."

The poor fellow stopped dead in his tracks. "Why?" he asked, stunned. In retrospect, he realised that was a stupid question to ask. Everyone needs to go home some time.

"Because my time here is up. I was supposed to be here for a semester and a half. I've done the time. I need to hand in my written assignment to my professor back home on Friday." She could see how shocked the man was by the news. Trying to console him, she laid her hand on his upper arm. "Don't be so sad, David. We'll be in touch, won't we? We will write each other, no?"

"Yeah," he scoffed. "It's just…yeah, fine." Struggling to change his mood, he continued with a sharp tilt of the head, "Come on, you'll be late for class."

Too bad come the day of her departure Dave was so busy at the hospital he didn't manage to bid Genviève farewell.

xxx

Three days after Kensei's near run-in with the cops, he got a phone call from an unregistered number. He scowled at his cell phone, debating whether or not to pick up. On the fifth ring he answered it, speaking cautiously, "Hello?"

"Hey, hombre," came the response. "What the hell you been upto since we last dealt together man? Face all over the news…"

"Guerrero, where've you been?" Kensei asked harshly. "Why didn't you return my calls? If you're planning to sell me out – "

"Chill out homes," Guerrero interrupted in his distinct Mexican accent. "You know me, always busy. Just got back this morning. So what can I do for you?"

"I have to get out of here ASAP. Need a plane; two passengers. Japan."

"Ok, no worries. But all my planes are currently 'occupied'. The earliest I can sort you out is Sunday."

"Shit. But I need to get out of here NOW," said the biracial man in a slight panic.

"Sorry homes. Sunday, otherwise you find someone else to help you."

A long pause, then, "Fine, Sunday. After dark?"

"As always," replied the Latino .

**A/N: Forgive the long hiatus. Busy and mind-block is a crap cocktail.**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

That afternoon there was a knock on the door. He could hear some movement in the house as he waited for his knock to be answered. A few seconds later the locks were undone and the door was opened, revealing a rather surprised Cree Lincoln. "Hoagie? Hey…what are you doing here?" she asked as she scratched her forehead. It had been quite a while since she had last seen the man standing before her.

Smiling nervously, he crossed his arms, then quickly thought against it and pocketed one of his hands instead. "Uh, I was…I was just wondering how you guys were…doing, you know?" he said, raising his eyebrow at the very end of his question.

"Oh, cool. We're good, I guess, all things considered." She stepped back to open the door further. "Please, come in," she said as she gestured to him.

Walking in tentatively, he nodded in gratitude. "Thanks, I can't stay long though– "

"Nonsense," came the voice of Mrs. Lincoln from the kitchen. Stepping out into the corridor she came face to face with her visitor. "You know some people may not take too kindly to being told that their visitor won't be staying long…unless his presence is not appreciated. But that's a different story," she said jokingly as she gave the brown-haired man a warm hug.

Laughing quietly, Hoagie looked down at Abby's mum. "Nah, it's just that my brother's in the car. We're going for Eva's wake, so…I just," he paused and sighed, "I wanted to see you. I know it's kinda weird, I just felt like I gotta see you guys."

"Well, thank you for coming. It's very kind of you." She gestured for the young man to sit as they walked into the living room.

Jamie, who had been sitting with one leg propped on the chair and the other on the ground, stood up to greet Hoagie. "How's it?" he asked, to which Hoagie responded with a smile and a slight nod of the head.

"Go and say hello to Hoagie's brother, okay?" Genviève said as her son made to pass Hoagie. The youngest Lincoln gave her a cheeky salute. "Aye-aye Cap'n," he replied as he headed for the door.

"And please put on a t-shirt or something," came the exasperated plea from Mrs. Lincoln. "You look like a hoodlum."

Immediately, Jamie changed his bearings as he went toward his bedroom, all the while grinning victoriously. "I'm wearing a _vest, _it's not like I'm naked…" he mumbled.

"And it's not like I need child welfare all up in my…uh…grill, no?"

Stopping dead in his tracks, Jamie turned to his mother with a horror-stricken expression. "Uh-uh, mama, _NO! _Let's leave the _hoodlum _lingo to the professionals," he said as he made air-quotation marks with his fingers.

Hoagie couldn't help but laugh at the random antics these people used to make their days less gloomy.

xxx

Down the street from the Lincoln residence the two pubescent boys walked lackadaisically in the chilly temperatures of the afternoon, their hands shoved down their pockets. They kicked at stones before them, and even went out of their way to kick them again.

"I've not seen much of you at school, hey?" Tommy said as he spared a glance at his schoolmate.

Jamie shrugged. "Yeah, well…I'm not much fun right now, you know?"

"Yeah," Tommy said as he nodded empathetically. In an attempt to brighten the mood, or at least change the direction the conversation was headed, he added, "So, are you dating that chic in our algebra class?"

Voice catching in his throat, Jamie tried not to blush as he thought about Gabriella. "N-nope, why?"

"Why? Have you not seen her? She's a hottie. But that's cool, means I can go for gold now," Tommy said with a triumphant laugh as he kicked another stone. However, the expression on Jamie's face made he's celebratory laugh end prematurely. "Kid-ding," he said slowly, emphasis laid on the syllables as he raised his hands in surrender.

Patting Tommy's back, Jamie pointed at him, "You better be."

The duo was now quite a few blocks away from Jamie's house, when said individual made to turn back. "Dude, chill," Tommy said as he began to walk enthusiastically down the adjacent street. "Check out that ride," he added.

Jamie followed the brown haired boy who had already crossed the street to have a closer look. "Damn," is all he could say when they were close enough to appreciate the beauty of the car without trespassing on the owner's property. "We don't see many Mercs like this around."

"Yeah," Tommy replied in awe as he tried to circle the property to get a better view. "I think I've only seen it on the highways like three times or something. Other than that, I've only seen it on TV; movies, Top Gear…"

"Ok, dude, let's head back or you'll be late for the wake."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Tommy replied dismissively.

xxx

Ever since Saturday, that horrible, horrible day that Abby couldn't remember; when Kensei had…had…

She couldn't remember. She had passed out. And Abby was glad for it. But ever since that day, Kensei had been getting high every day without fail. Sure, so it had only been what, three days? She wasn't even sure anymore, having been tied up and kept away from the world for so long. She was just grateful that he hadn't tried to lay a finger on her anymore.

"Abby," he whispered.

Shit. What now? Abby felt she was about this close to losing her mind. She looked down at the man kneeling before her. She did nothing but raise an eyebrow in response.

He brought his hand up to her face, and gently cupped her cheek before tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "You don't look comfortable they way you're seated. That posture won't do your back much good," he said slowly, the alcohol and drugs having begun to take effect.

Abby ignored him, as she continued to sit in her half twisted position, her free arm behind her between her back and the chaise. Her chained arm wrapped around her legs, which were propped up on the couch as she rested her head on her knees. Finally fixing her eyes on him, she tilted her head, appearing deep in thought. Kensei couldn't help but think how cute she looked when she did that.

"Come closer." A command.

"What?" he asked, taken aback.

"I _said, _come closer," Abby reiterated in a clipped tone.

Kensei inched closer to her ever so slightly then stopped. "Why?"

"If you're gonna make me your wife, I need to be wife-like. Now. Come. Closer."

Still skeptical, he barely moved, so Abby took the initiative. He was close enough to be of her chained arm's reach, and so she extended her arm towards him. She reciprocated his previous action, and cupped his cheek, before gently twirling his curls around her finger, feeling the texture. In a barely audible whisper, she repeated, "Closer."

This time he did as he was told. Abby too inched closer to him, their lips just millimeters apart, then in an instant she swung her free arm with all the might in her body, bringing the empty Jack Daniel's bottle from the previous night to a thumping halt against Kensei's skull, which resulted in the cacophony that was the breaking glass. As he began to fall backwards Abby grabbed him by the collar and shoved the slivered end of the glass in her hand into the side of his neck. Letting him go, he fell to the ground, and she proceeded to fish the keys to her freedom from his trousers pockets.

As fast as she could, she fiddled with the key till it turned in its lock and freed her arm. She got up and jumped over his body and rushed to the door. Luckily the key was in its place and she unlocked the door, while simultaneously working on the other dead bolts. Kensei's groans of pain only served to accelerate her efforts. Turning the last dead bolt she opened the door and ran for her life, paying no heed to any little stones that might have been poking and digging into her bare feet as she fled.

"HELP! HELP!" she screamed at the only two people she could see further down the road. She saw one of the boys look around before turning to look at her. She waved and continued to scream as she ran towards them.

Now the other boy turned too. Shock, surprise, disbelief – all these emotions were jumbled together as he recognized the lady running towards them. "Abby?" he said quietly as he began to jog towards her. Abigail felt relief as she recognized the two boys before her.

"Abby!" Jamie said again, much louder than before as he now broke into a sprint. "Shit," he swore under his breath when he saw someone ran out of a house after his sister.

"RAN!" Abby heard both boys scream in unison. Cold dread washed over her as she instantly knew that Kensei was behind her. She did not want to look back, lest she lost the will to run. Instead she gathered every last ounce of strength within her to propel her towards her brother.

She was now within fifty feet of her brother, but the look on his face made her heart stop. Behind Jamie she could see Tommy raise his hands and clutch his head in fear at the exact same moment that she heard the click of the safety catch of a gun behind her.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Eighteen months after Genviève had returned to France, David found himself sitting on the steps leading to a stylish apartment building in Marseille. He had a book open in his hands, his eyes skimming over the words although his mind was elsewhere. Now that he was here, what next? The longer he waited, the more convinced he became that flying to France wasn't such a good idea after all.

He looked around him, admiring the beauty of the architectural designs. There were people walking up and down the street on that sunny afternoon, a slight bustle in the background. A vehicle would drive by every now and then. The young man looked at his watch, then got up, deciding to while away the time with a tour of the town.

David ended up at the local market place. It was a beehive of activity, and he could not tell his right from his left with the crowds and movement around him. He saw an incredibly inviting fruit stall ahead, and went towards it as he dug into his pockets to get some change. As he arrived at the stall he began to count the coins in his hands, lucky to find he had just enough to buy three apples. He pointed at the fruits and dropped the coins into the hands of the woman behind the make-shift counter.

"_Merci_," he said politely as she handed him the plastic bag with the apples. Taking a step back he bumped into one of the many people walking by. He apologized absent-mindedly as he tried to navigate through the crowds.

"David?"

The young man turned his head in the direction of the one voice he that had caught his attention. Well, if all he needed to do was bump into people so that she could show up, David would have done so right at the airport. Smiling brightly and stepping around one middle aged man, he walked up to her.

"Genviève…hey," he greeted brightly, his heart thumping with joy.

The young French woman smiled just as brightly, albeit surprise was expressed just as strongly. She let go of the hand she had been holding so as to embrace David. That was when the African American realised that Genviève had been with someone. A guy no less.

"It's so wonderful to see you," Genviève added as she let go of David. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she stepped back, brushing her hair out of her face. "Oh," she continued, "This is Thierry. Thierry – David," she introduced.

David couldn't help but notice how Genviève was somewhat touchy-feely with the raven haired man beside her. _Look at him, all smug,_ David thought as he unconsciously sized up the guy. "Hello," he said in a slight curt manner.

"Hello," Thierry responded as he firmly grasped David's hand in greeting. Instantly, the African American thought the guy had a stupid accent. "I've heard so much about you," the athletic French man added with a cheeky smile. Genviève playfully slapped his arm as she reproached him, a blush on her cheeks.

_Oh, this is just rich, _thought David in disgust. _I flew all the way here for this?_

"So," the mocha-skinned lady asked as she turned her attention to the American, "What are you doing here?"

"I came…" David broke off with a sigh, his will to say more breaking the longer Genviève held on to Thierry's hand. "I came to see you," he said quietly as he searched her eyes for a sign of…anything really. He just needed a sign.

A throat was cleared. "I think I should go. I will see you tomorrow," Thierry said as he gave Genviève a one armed hug. She nodded in response as the young man spoke to Dave. "It is a pleasure to meet you, David Lincoln." And with that he walked away, a smile playing on his lips.

David looked on after the departing individual until he was no longer in his sight. He felt a hand fit into his, and he looked down at them before lifting his gaze to meet Genviève's. "Come with me," she said as she led him away from the market place.

Once the bustle had lessened the young woman spoke again. "You came to see me?"

"Yes," David responded as they walked casually down the street.

"Why?"

Dave looked at her questioningly. "Really? Is that even a question? I missed you. I never even got to say goodbye."

"True, but you did say goodbye in the letter you sent me after I first wrote to you," she said challengingly.

"Yeah, but, it's not the same, even though I said it on behalf of the day you left. Does that even make sense?"

Genviève laughed that laugh that always rang melodically in David's ears. "Kind of. Okay, so you came to say goodbye in person? It's why you flew halfway across the world?"

"No, I wouldn't come here to say goodbye. I was hoping…I just missed you, okay? It's been one and a half years and I still think of you every day."

"You know, you could have told me you miss me and think of me every day in a letter. So David," Genviève stepped closer and held his face in her hands, forcing him to look into hers eyes. "Tell me the real reason you are here."

The young man swallowed, his legs rooted to the spot and his breaths coming faster and faster as his mind tried to think. "I love you okay?" he blathered. "I love you and I came to find out if you love me too. But I took forever to tell you how I feel and now you're with that _Thierry_ guy and it's hopeless and –"

His pscyho-babble was cut short by Genviève's lips that were ever so gently brought to his in a chaste kiss. She pulled away from him before giving him another quick kiss. "David, relax. _Un_, I love you. _Deux_, Thierry is my best friend; that is all he is."

The American felt as light as a feather. "You love me?" he asked, a grin plastered on his face. Genviève nodded and smiled, before they both burst into laughter.

"Why didn't you tell me before? That you loved me?" he asked.

"I didn't want to be your rebound girl."

David took her hands in his and kissed them. "You are not my rebound girl. Sue is dead to me. I _love _you."

"No matter how dead to you you would like her to be, she will always mean something to you. You know it's true."

He was quiet for a while, trying to search Genviève's face. "But I love _you_, not her, _you."_

"I know, and I will love you till time stands still."

"Ah, ze French, so romantic," David said jokingly as he pulled his lips in his best French impression which failed to amaze his new girlfriend.

xxx

As impossible as it may seem, Abby could have sworn she had heard every single millimeter that the safety catch had moved, from the time Kensei's finger had touched it to the moment he let it go. What she couldn't understand was why she couldn't move faster, be it to take a sharp right or a sharp left, or even just to throw herself on the ground, which is where she finally decided to go. However, before she could even hit the ground, she heard the bullet piston right out of the barrel of the gun.

_This is it, _she thought as she finally collided with the ground. She lay there for an instant, but it felt like hours, before she summoned the courage to look behind her. Craning her neck to look at her assassin (ha, even in death she had the mind to consider herself important enough to be 'assasinated'), she was surprised to see him on his knees, his left hand desperately clasping at his breast while his other hand loosely hang onto his 9mm pistol. His breathing was labored, and despite his obvious pain and discomfort, he still had a sadistic smile on his face.

Noticing there was a growing stain of crimson under his left hand, Abby realised that the bullet she thought she had taken had actually gone right through her stalker instead. She run her hands over her own torso, trying to decipher the cause of her own pain, only to understand that her ache was caused by her very recent impact with the ground in her attempt to evade a bullet.

Abby heard hurried footsteps as her brother and Tommy ran to her. Jamie crouched beside her and held her, lifting her into a sitting position. His face was engraved with concern. He called her, quietly at first, then louder and louder as she failed to respond. All this time her eyes were on Kensei, watching as his fingers slowly let go of the gun and he fell backwards and straightened his legs. Abby now saw a man; a man who had been standing directly behind Kensei, but some metres away in the background such that his body had been hidden by that of the caramel-skinned man. This man had a gun trained on Kensei, even now as the biracial man lay wounded on the ground.

"Abby, dammit! Are you ok?" Jamie all but screamed at his sister, shaking her violently. She blinked and turned her head to look at her brother.

She gave him a little smile. "Yes…I'm fine. Finally." Then she passed out.


End file.
